test... wow that took a long time.

Sledding!

We finally got some snow, and had Daddy home for the perfect sledding day! Everyone had a lot of fun, however our baby wasn't so sure about going down the hill on the sled with us. C and A had SO much fun, however A has reminded us that we need to find her some snow-pants so her little legs don't freeze off next time.

D almost fell asleep on my shoulder, poor kid must have wondered what was going on!

C had a hard time walking in the snow, it was about a foot deep, and it was a lot of work for a little guy!

A was very fearless, and couldn't get enough of running up the hill, just to sled down again.

We all had a really fun day, and really had fun spending time with Josh. He is working a lot of hours lately, so play time doesn't come often. We are very lucky to have such a hard working Daddy- even if we do miss him!

Sad Christmas realities..

Believe it or not, we are still alive. :) During breakfast this morning, we were discussing Santa Clause and the North Pole. We continued on to talk about the elves that make toys. Josh asked our 4 year old daughter what toys she thought the elves were making- And she said "I ordered Polly Pockets!!"

Home Sweet Home

This will soon be our entry way. :)

This will soon be our kitchen. :)

This will soon be our living room. :)

It's been a long time...

Life has it's way of getting busy, and I haven't had the motivation to get on here and make a new entry. Things are going well for us, but crazy as usual. I think that we live off of having a crazy schedule, because when things slow down, we always quickly find something else to make our lives interesting.

We went for a hike up to the top of Granduer Peak for the 4th of July to watch the fireworks. It was really hard, and amazingly beautiful! I wish I was in good enough shape to do hikes like that on a weekly basis. We went up with my Sister and a few of her friends, and we were very greatful for all the help they gave us with our kids.

The following week I decided to take the kids up to Yellowstone to meet Josh's parents who were staying for the week. So I braved the drive alone! On the way up Parleys Canyon I had a pretty sharp pain in my ear- rather than the normal ear popping that I usually experience. Anyway, after we had been up there for a day, I ended up at the instacare because I was soo dizzy, and my balance was very off, causing motion sickness and vomiting. It was horrible! Anyway, I have dealt with the Vertigo since then, and am doing much better, however I still find my balance to be a little off, and get a bit dizzy when I lay down. Strange huh?

Josh quit his job at Durham as the warehouse manager. When he accepted his CNA position at the hospital they demoted him to a warehouse worker and gave him a pay cut, with limited hours. This put us in a position that we had to make the other job our top priority, and in so doing- they were going to give him another pay cut. Anyway, it just wasn't working out for us- and we didn't agree with how they were handling the whole situation.

Since then, he found a job at Jamba Juice as a team lead. His location will open on Friday. Everyone should go visit him. :) He will only work part time there, and will be full time nights at the hospital. I also found a job doing data entry from home for a company called ACS. I am very greatful I was hired, and am through the training. I find that most of my 'free-blogging-time' is filled with work. But I'm still trying to make a routine for myself.

Our little girl started Preschool on Tuesday, and she absolutely loved it! We are excited to have her learning and capable of being away from us and being well behaved. I was a bit nervous sending her away for a couple hours, but now that she's been once, I know it will be good for her.

Anyway, there's a little summary of us. :)

WOAH!!!

Sorry everyone. Nothing is wrong. I was just about to get a hold of Dave about a month ago to to moutain biking and I thought I had his # and was procrastinating and then when I went to call him I realized I didn't have his new# and it took me a week to admit I didn't know where something was so I asked Jenni and she said she wasn't sure what the real # was and then then internet was down for a few days so I was really frustrated. So I did the post at the end of my shift at work one night and it screwed up. I had this big old paragrah about stuff and a portion of it was specifically to Dave explaining the situation. (this was the reason I did the post in the first place) so becase it only printed the Title, I just put the basic message in the title. Anyway, long story short... I'm stubborn, internet is really dumb sometimes, I don't always think about how things sound when they come out of my mouth, and I ramble!!! :) Sorry for the runon sentance, I'm too lazy right now to go back and correct grammar... and besides... if the same thing happens that happened last time, none of you will be able to see this paragraph anyway. By the way Dave, I really do want to go I still haven't looked at my schedule... I'll look at it tonight and email you tonight or tommorrow. But I don't really need to say that because you'll probably get the email before you read the blog. (unlees I procrastinate and loose your email adress and the process starts all over again.) Ok I'm done rambling... for now...

DAVE, Call Josh

Pursuit of Happyness

Josh and I stayed up way too late last night and watched this movie. We loved it. :) We all are presented with different challenges and obstacles that we are capable of overcoming. It is our decision if we succeed or not. A good attitude is a choice.

This movie made me greatful for all I have, and I feel very spoiled! We can live much more frugally that we have been. Any and all frugal or money smart tips would be appreciated!

My BIG two year old!

My older son turned 2! All I could think about is how lucky I am to have such a sweet son. Yes, he does hit, scream, doesn't listen, and has some major meltdowns- but I love him. He says "Tanku", and please. He likes to hold my hand, and loves to cuddle in the morning. He got mad at our dog when she knocked our Daughter down this morning, and had the saddest face, and just kept telling Lexi, "NO, NO!" He was brave and got a shot at the Dr, and didn't even cry... he just kept saying "Ow!"(He did however get some tears in his eyes). He loves his big sister even though she is very bossy and not always the nicest to him. I'm so thankful that I get to be his Mommy!!

Josh got a part time job at Cottonwood Hospital- as a CNA in the Surgical Department! Hurray. This means that we won't have to wait the 5 years to get into the nursing program- and they'll pay for the rest of school. Well at least until he get's his RN.

Unfortunatly his full time job has been put in jeopardy because of his acceptance of the CNA job. The most recent offer is to give him 20-25 hrs with a pay cut. OUCH. Things are all up in the air for us. :) It's a bit stressful and I'm anxious to feel financially stable again.

We are all loving our new dog Lexi. She is a very gentle girl, and we are happy she seems to like our family. We got her a crate- hoping it will help her with separation anxiety when we leave her at home. So far she's handled it great! We bought this silly toy called a 'Chuck-it'. I was giving Josh the hardest time that he actually wanted to buy it. But, I was wrong. I can even wear her out with it. It's especially fun to take to huge fields and watch her run.

Our little girl has turned into such a chatter-box! Today I've been trying to clean a lot, and she just won't stop asking questions. Silly questions that don't always make sense. :) I'm hoping that pre-school in the fall will be good for her socially, and will help her learn the things that she resists learning from 'Mom and Dad'.

Our little boy is definatly on the verge of being a 2 year old. He has learned how to use his lungs. And I think his ears are learning to block out my voice. However, he is still a Momma's boy and I enjoy it! He went potty on the toilet last week. Just once. I'm not holding my breath on having him trained soon, but it's nice that he's at least showing some interest.

Baby boy is doing well- it makes me sad that he's already almost 6 months old. It seriously seems like it was just yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital. He had a whitish thing on his tounge-so of course I started watching it like an eagle. I decided it was looking a lot like thrush- so he has had a purple mouth all week from the gentian violet. I hope we caught it fast enough that it won't be a big problem for us.

We are all doing well. Greatful that we are a tight knit little family during these stressful times. Soon enough they will just be a bad memory.

Check out my Guestbook!

Too long without a post- Not too much new, but here are some cute pictures. :)

This last picture is the newest potential member of our family. Her name is Lexi- isn't she cute? Hopefully the kids will adjust to her as well as she has already adjusted to us. :D

I'm not sure I knew what I was getting into...

So yes, this is my sweet baby boy.

He was contently on the carpet BEFORE we came upon our first little mouse friend.(Now I don't ever want him to lay on the ground again!!) After chasing the mouse around our little aparment for a while- i finally caught him, and he posed for this picture. :)

The next evening, Josh spotted another little friend. So we have set traps, but haven't caught anything yet. We are seriously trying to find a cat to join our family. We haven't ever had a cat- but are thinking it is a much better option than having rodents running around. We have found a few loving cats, but I'm a bit nervous to take the step and actually bring one home. Not sure why I'm so nervous. Any advice? Males over Females? Can declawed cats still catch mice?

And this last picture is just another one of our many friends we have met while living in a basement. :) He's not the biggest one we've come across- but with a swift hit with a flip-flop and the critter was dead.

In better news, Josh had a good interview with Pioneer Valley Hospital- we are waiting now to schedule his State CNA test, and hopefully we'll have a job as soon as he gets that over with.

I finish training for my Merchandising position tomorrow. Yay! After that I'll be able to work at my leisure. (5-10 hours a week). I'm really looking forward to having some time just for me, and earning a little income for our family. I think Josh will enjoy the time with the kids as well.

Our Easter weekend was very busy! Saturday we went up to Logan for my nephews Baptism. It was very special, and it was the first time our little girl really got to see a baptism. It was good to see all of my family- and to take the beautiful drive up to Logan. On Sunday we tried to attend a bably blessing up in Ogden, but got there a few minutes late and missed it. :( We did go to the luncheon after though, and had a great time catching up with our friends. They had a little egg hunt for all the children, and our kids were funny, they found just one peice of candy each and were content to be done hunting. :) After we got home from Ogden we headed to Grandma Err Errs for Easter Dinner. The kids did another little egg hunt, and were much better at looking for lots of eggs. It was fun!!

***** update****

We adopted this cute male Tabby named Sparky last night. (Tuesday). He is very affectionate, and sure seems like he needs some love. Unfortunatly, I broke out in hives, was very sneezy, and my eyes and throat were itchy, so we took her back this morning. :( Our poor little girl keeps talking about our kitty, and is a bit confused why we had to take him back. Guess we'll figure something else out to help with our mouse problem. I hope another family takes Sparky in, he needs a good home.

Our lives are filled with countdowns.

Only 4 more nights of class, 2 more clinicals, 2 tests, and CPR certification and Josh will be done with his CNA. I can now see a light at the end of this long 2 week(ha ha) tunnel. Last week was pretty hard, the kids were constantly asking for Daddy, and completely confused why they went several days without even seeing him. By the time Wednesday came, I decided it was time to go eat lunch with Daddy. And then they took late naps for the rest of the week, and got a glimpse of him after he got home from school.
On Sunday, Josh got to do his first clinical at a Care Center here in the Valley. He had a very enjoyable time, and learned a lot. I learned that my Husband has a very big heart, and will make a great nurse. I have always thought he could be successful in any profession he decided to stick with- but have been a bit nervous about him being a Nurse for some reason. Anyway, that nervousness is all gone, and now I'm just anxious and excited to get the ball rolling to one day be done with school!
Last Friday our little girl and I were having a rough day, so we dropped the boys off with Grandma, and we went and got our hair cut. I got a bit teary as they did the first cut on her hair, as about 5 inches of hair fell to the ground, but it sure is nice to have less tears over knotty hair, and she looks adorable with her cute little A-line cut. I just took a little off, and got a lovely side sweep bang. I'll have to take some pictures later today.
Our little man is definatly almost two. :) Poor kid finally got one of the 8 teeth that are trying to break through his gums. I'm taking he and his sister to the Dentist today for thier first visit. It will be interesting to see how it goes. I hope they are prepared for a bit of screeching from my little boy.
My sweet baby boy is 3.5 months old now. He is such a delightful little boy... he's really a happy baby as long as your attention is on him. I've been dealing with a great lack of sleep since we moved to our new home, but am hopeful he'll figure out sleeping again soon. I've been trying to get him to take a small amount of formula at night to see if that would help him sleep longer, but the little stinker just will NOT accept the bottle at all. My next idea is perhaps a little bit of rice cereal. I'm hoping that goes better.
I have been quite lonely without my dear Husband around. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I'm so greatful that my parents live close, we have spent a lot of time with them in the evenings for all of our sanity. The kids are always excited to see Grandma and Grandpa.

I'm off to get the day really started.. Happy Tuesday.

Good Luck with that..

I'm a bit of a nut case tonight. Our sweet almost two year old has croup. Yuck! We took him to kidscare today and they gave him a nebulizer treatment, and a steroid to help with all of the swelling in his throat. Hopefully he'll sleep better tonight now that he can get some more air into his lungs. I'm very worried about the other two getting it though... especially our 3 month old. Just thinking about him getting it makes me sick to my stomach. I suppose the thing that worries me that most is that Josh is starting a CNA course this week and will be gone from 6:30 am until 10:30 pm each day. So, I'm playing single Mommy for a couple weeks. I'm greatful he'll be home at least to sleep for a bit each night, and I'll just be praying that the other kids don't get as sick- if they have to get sick at all. :)

We are enjoying our new home. The kids enjoy the extra space, and the back yard to play in. I'm hoping we've gotten rid of most of the spiders. And we just bought some space heaters that will hopefully make it a bit warmer for us. We had forgotten just how cold basements can get. We have unpacked everything we 'need'. But still have several boxes of stuff- that need to be unpacked.

Well I should go and charge my Mommy Power for the week- I'm going to need all I can get. ;)

Sweet Blessing Day

Tepanyaki, yummmm. :)

Last night we took the kids to Tepankyaki for a special family dinner outing. We had a wonderful time! As we waited in the lobby to be seated, a nice man gave our older son his buzzer(the thing that lights up and vibrates when it is your turn to be seated) so that he could hold one since our daughter was holding ours. It was just a simple kind act, and brought the cutest smile to our sons' face. I whispered to Josh that I was glad that there are still good people in the world. We were both proud of the kids and how well they behaved at the nice restaraunt. Perhaps we'll skip McDonalds A LOT more often and save to eat out at nice places.

After dinner we headed home, and then heard the news about the events happening at Trolley Square. How saddening it is that people get the the point that they are willing to go to a mall and shoot random people- for no apparent reason. The news reported that the 18 yr old had a shotgun and a hand gun, and a back pack full of ammo- It's disturbing that he actually did take 5 lives, and ended his by not surrendering to the police. I've been a little shaken up by the event, because it happend here in the Salt Lake Valley. It makes you wonder if we are ever really safe anywhere... but has been once again a reminder to live each day to the fullest, and to cherish my family a little more.

We are in the process of packing to move, and Josh packed up our camera! I have some hopefully nice pictures from the day that we blessed our baby boy. I'm anxious to get them posted.

Hurray!! We are FINALLY moving.

It may not be to our own house yet, but we found a 3 bedroom basement apartment last night. We have put our deposit down, and given our 30 day notice to our current apartment complex. I'm so anxious to get moved. The house is on an acre of land, and the owner has a swing set, and sand box. As we were driving down the street to find the house, we noticed that most of the homes have horse property- with horses. :D

We survived without Josh, but alas he is leaving us again this week for a night, possibly two. I'm glad these tradeshows only come a couple times a year. I'll have to post some pics of what it is that he building at the shows... it's quite impressive. Sounds like the show has gone GREAT for the company. That is always a good thing.

Anyway, need to get some laundry done. Oh joy. :)

He's lost and gone forever.... or just a few days.

Well Josh just left a bit ago to drive down to lovely Anaheim, CA- where it will be arounda lovely 75 degrees. I'm a bit jealous, can you tell? I'm a bit uncomfortable knowing I'll be without a Hubby for a couple days. The only time we've been away from each other for a night was when I went to my Grandparents house in ID for two nights. It was at that point I decided I didn't really want to go on any more trips without him. Now we have 3 kids which makes it that much more difficult. Anyway, I'm sure I'll survive somehow. We have two Grandma's who I know I could call and ask for help at any moment if I needed it. I had considered just going to stay with my Mom for the whole time, but then I know for sure I would get NO sleep. I guess we'll take it day by day.

I got our taxes filed last night. Hurray!! I love direct deposit- we should have our federal return within 9 days. Sad to say that most of our return will be going to pay off our sweet little boy. But that's okay- better spent on him, than on lots of toys that we don't need.

Well my little boy just woke up from his nap and is calling from his crib- what a patient little boy he is. I'm glad I'll have our babies with me, perhaps it'll help me be a little less lonely. Wish me luck!!

A big thanks to Mr. Sandman.

I think it must be a miracle, I currently have 3 sleeping children! This is not a common occurance, but I am enjoying the silence. Josh is extremely busy with work again. His work is preparing for the upcoming CHA conference in Anaheim, CA. He has been given the responsibility of setting up and taking down at the show... I think he may be a bit overwhelmed, as he's never been to one of the shows before, but he will do great.

Today I have been working on a daily sticker chart for the kids- to help us do all the things we need to in a day. I think it will help ME out a lot- structure is good. I'm hoping it will help the kids be a little less bored each day as well. I can't help but be a bit anxious for some warm weather so we can spend a little time each day outside. We have considered finding a new apartment again, because our lease will be up at the end of February. It would be nice to have a place where we are a bit more comfortable playing outside, and a place where we could go for walks with out being close to the heavy traffic. I guess we'll see. We are surviving here, even if we are CRAMMED in to our little place.

I applied for a work-at home position doing data entry. I recieved an email yesterday from them asking for some typing test results and such. The email indicated that training would begin next week!! I haven't heard a word today, so I'm guessing they have filled the position- probably for the better though. They wanted someone who could work 10 hours on monday, and 8 hours on Tuesday. That would be some hectic days, and leave me with some very deprived children.

I better get off and really enjoy the quiet for a few minutes before the kids wake up. :)

Wednesday... the middle of the week. :)

My last post must have been a day when I had a little too much time to think about all that is going on. Usually it's too busy to realize how chaotic our lives are. :) Yesterday we managed to only have one roll of toilet paper completely unrolled and all over the bathroom. I'm sure this happend while I was feeding our little one. At least no one was hurt!!

Our baby is 4 weeks old today. We had our first verbal conversation yesterday and it was adorable! It's so fun to see them stare so deeply into someones eyes... making them wondering what the little guy is thinking. He's been a very good baby so far. He seems to have some painful gas issues, but I think the Mylicone drops have been helping a little bit. And he sleeps pretty well about every 3rd day. (My guess is that we really won't be tested beyond that which we can handle!!)

The big kids have been adjusting, and at least for the past few days have been playing together nicely. However I think the whole apartment complex knows if our little boy is upset. He has developed quite the screech when things don't go his way..... You can tell that he is on his way to being a big 2 year old. Our little girl went to her first Sunbeam class on Sunday. She was so excited to be one of the 'Big kids' at church. I asked her teacher how she was, and she said she wanted to talk a lot. Hmmmn. They may be in for a long year! She has turned in to quite the talker. It occasionally drives both Josh and I crazy because we don't ever get to talk to each other. :) But I keep telling Josh that she is a girl, and girls talk a lot- at least she says 'excuse me'. Which usually turns into her saying it several times in a row very quickly so we can't hear each other to finish whatever we were talking about in the first place!

Looking to trade Mommy for newer model- ours is malfunctioning.

So I knew 3 kids was going to be a new challenge- and I've been and am optimistic that perhaps one day I'll get the hang of things. But for now each 9 hours (including driving time) that Josh is gone to work is pretty chaotic. I do have to say that I at least have succeeded in keeping all of us clean and bathed- that is an accomplishment right? And we usually get meals at somewhat regular time. (Daddy has been doing dinner- thank goodness for one normal thing that we can count on each day!!) Other than that I have a big Sister who likes to torment her little Brother- and a 18 month old who doesn't understand being quiet- even with many 'shhh's' and trying to teach him to whisper..... which leaves us with a baby boy who gets woken up from his naps very frequently- and a Mommy who is nearly at the end of her rope on a daily basis.

I'd like to say that our home is a very peaceful and orderly one. One where we eat 3 healthy meals a day, one where each of the kids get the attention they need, and a home that is clean and ready for last minute guests. Growing up I don't remember any craziness in my home. I think this is because I was the youngest (by 6 years) and most of the kids were moved out by the time I would have noticed! It would make me feel a lot better to know that it was crazy at times. :) At least we are making it from day to day, and we are all together at the end of the day as a family. I think I had just forgotten that when there is a new addition to a family everyone has a lot of adjusting to do. A lot of people had told us that child number 3 was the hardest to get used to. It will get easier right?