Grinch-y

I am feeling Grinch-y.

Tired of all the money being spent.

Tired of my never-ending list of things to get done before Christmas.

I am usually such a huge fan of this celebration, and I am shocked at how I feel this year.

It could be that just too much has happened in the past week.

(Ciara had a minor surgery yesterday, and we found out last week that my mother-in-law has breast cancer)

I just feel like I can't catch up with everything that is going on.

Maybe if I eat more chocolate . . . .

No, probably not.

My heart had better find Christmas soon.

The Silver Lining

I try to look at the bright side of things.

Even when I could be complaining (and believe me I do my fair share of it), I do try to look for the positive.

Complaint #1

Our family lives over 2000 miles away.

Silver lining-we are generally left out of the day to day family drama that goes on.  Also, I think we work together when it is just the 4 of us.  Being constantly surrounded by family makes our roles a little muddled-I am not just a wife and mother, but also a daughter, sister, daughter-in-law, etc.

Complaint #2

The plane ride home from said family was AWFUL.  The family in front of us had 2 small children, both of whom threw up all over, and one of which cried the entire 5 hour flight.

Silver lining-We were not that family.  Our kids were so good.  They entertained themselves (yes, the DS had a LOT to do with that), and at one point, Ciara was reading books to Caden.

Complaint #3

Ear Infections.

Ciara had 6 ear infections last winter, and we are already on our second in 3 weeks.

Silver lining-I have already scheduled an appointment with the ENT (who I like), we have health insurance, and good medical care available.

Complaint #4

Flat tire Monday morning.

Silver lining-Rocky had not left for work, so he was able to come to my rescue.  Also, I was very grateful that this happened on a Monday when I was just taking the kids to school as opposed to our 3 hour drive at midnight from the Baltimore airport

I think that is enough complaining for now.

We had a great trip to SLC for Thanksgiving.  I LOVED getting to see everyone (especially Anna, my new niece, and Kylie, my cousin's baby).  The kids had a blast, and didn't want to come home.

But we are now settled back into our routine, and looking forward to Christmas at home (in PA).

Parent Teacher Conference Time

Yes, it is that magical time of year when we get to go and hear how great our children are.

I always love hearing (from people not related to them) how smart and wonderful my kids are.

I am always thinking it, but, to be fair, I am pretty biased.

So when an impartial observer says great things about my kids, I feel like I have done something right.

However, I do have on worry.

Both of the kids graded in the "Advanced" criteria.

(For those of you unfamiliar with this grading, the options are A-Advanced, P-Appropriate Development, B-can't remember what this means, BB-Below Basic)

Now, where do we go from here?

Caden's teacher had a plan, which I like.  She said that he will start to do "Enrichment" activities that will be different than what the rest of the class does. 

She has a plan so that he can continue learning new things, and not get bored while the rest of the class does the curriculum.

Ciara's teacher had no such plan.

I asked about it (especially for math, since they are still adding simple numbers) and she did say she would send home some extra sheets that are "optional."

OK, but where is the plan to keep her advancing, and not just staying in the same place?

Where is the challenge?

I worry because things come a little too easy for her, and she doesn't have to try.

I want her to learn to work for things, not to give up if it is hard.

She won't be learning that at school apparently.

Yes, I know that this is not a real worry.

They are both doing very well in school, and for that I am grateful.

I just want to make sure they are working hard, and not just coasting though.

What a Morning!

I was getting the kids ready for school this morning.

They were upstairs brushing their teeth when the doorbell rang.

(It was about 7:40 am)

We all thundered down the stairs to open it.

It was two neighbor kids.

They then told us that an orange cat had just been hit by a car.

Our cat is orange, and I had just let him outside 15 minutes previously.

I kept asking the girls where the cat was hit.

(I needed to go and make sure that it was, in fact, our cat.  There are a few orange cats around).

Both of my kids are sobbing with their toothbrushes hanging out of their mouths.

I keep trying to explain that it might not be our cat, but they don't seem to hear me.

While we are getting shoes on, Caden asks if we can get a new cat.

Ciara then says we need to give all the cat food and litter box to Amanda (a friend of ours who recently was adopted by a cat).

I keep telling the kids that we have no idea if Ty (our cat) was the one hit, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

We did find the cat about 2 block away.

Luckily, it was NOT our cat.

(But I did see some other friends of ours walking down the street and am worried that it may have been their cat.)

Ciara is still upset that ANY cat has to go to heaven.

She was still in tears when I dropped her off at school.

And all this took place before 8 am.  

I need to go back to bed.

Mommy Time

Just a quick note to all the mommies with kids at home:

Don't forget your friends that don't have kids at home.

We are still around.

And probably bored.

Don't assume that we don't want to hang out with you and your kids.

We are OK hanging out with you and your children.

We are used to having play dates.

Just because we don't have any kids to bring to the date, doesn't mean that we don't want to come!

Just thought I would let you know.

Soccer Sucks!

I really don't think that soccer sucks.

But this had been the most frustrating soccer season I have experienced.

It is Ciara's first season, and she is actually enjoying it, which I am grateful for.

But our team has NEVER won a game.

We have become experts in the art of losing.

Yes, I understand that it isn't about winning.

It how you play the game.

But when you see how they play in practice, 

and then how they play COMPLETELY differently during games, 

I just can't seem to control the frustration.

They are aggressive during practice, steal the ball from each other, and are not afraid.

During games, if the other team has it, they back up about 5 feet and let them take control.

And yes, I keep telling myself that they are 7 and younger.

I know that it doesn't matter as long as they enjoy themselves

And they do.

But when you see all the other teams, and the skill that they ALL have, it is easy to get a bit frustrated.

Oh, and not only have we never won a game, but I am pretty sure that we have only made about 2 goals (if that) during the entire season.

Today's game was the closest game we have had: 0-2

And during those 2 goals, our goalie was hanging on the side of the goal, completely oblivious to the game.

It was rather amusing.

I would honestly just love for our team to experience winning once.

Just once.

Is that too much to ask?

Apparently so.

The Lazy Post

I really need to start writing posts when certain topics are on my mind.

I had two topics last week that I was constantly thinking about, 

but now that I have time to actually write, the heat of the moment has passed.

Maybe my senses have been dulled because of all the laziness.

Yes, I have become LAZY.

I stay in my PJ's for most of the morning, watch Will and Grace, surf online . . . 

I do get my cleaning and laundry done.

But then sit back down, grab my crochet hook, and just hang out.

I need some motivation.

But I really don't have a lot to get done.

(As a side note, why does the news keep showing graphic images of Kadhafi's death?  I find them disturbing.)

I still occasionally bake.

I just don't feel like doing anything.

Could I be depressed?

Is the quiet and lack of children getting to me?

It is hard to say, but I don't think so.

I don't feel sad.  

And if I felt lonely, I would just go and find some one to hang out with.

But I actually enjoy doing nothing.

So I will just go with it right now.

Helping Hands

A friend of mine had a small emergency recently and called to request my help.

I could tell by her voice that she was desperate, and she struggled with asking me for help, presumably because she didn't want to intrude, or ruin my evening.

It was really a simple request, one that I was able and very willing to do.

But I understand her struggle.

Living far away from family, you have to do a lot more on your own.

When you have a husband that travels, or works long hours, as well as being far away from family, you really are on your own so much more.

You have to be able to rely on friends.

As a friend myself, I understand the hesitation to ask for help.

I feel guilty any time I have to do it.

But when I am asked to help, I feel flattered.

Flattered because that means that whoever is asking for the help is comfortable enough, and likes me enough, to ask me specifically.

Yes, I am making their crisis about me.

But, I am also hoping to remove some of the guilt that one may feel in asking for help.

So don't feel guilty.

Know that I am secretly pleased because you like me.

You really like me.

:)

The More the Merrier?

I was able to watch one of the General Conference sessions today at home.

 Neil L. Andersen's talk on family got me thinking.
We believe in Families, and we believe in Children.

Mormons are generally known for having large (and sometimes VERY large) families.
One of the questions people (who are unfamiliar with the Mormon faith) ask me is,
"Why do Mormons have so many children?"
Some confuse us with Catholics and think it is an issue about birth control.
Not true.
I struggled with how to answer this question.
In the 11 years that I have been going to church, I have never heard a talk or had a lesson on the requirement of a large family.
There was never a minimum number of kids that families were encouraged to meet, nor was there EVER any mention of small families being less important.
Now I feel like I have the response.
We believe in Families, and we believe in Children.
THAT is why so many have large families.
We believe in families and children so much that it manifests itself in the abundance of kids in certain families.
He also states that the timing and size of your family is a sacred decision to be made between a husband and wife, through discussion and prayer.
My family stands out a bit at church, only because we have only 2 children.
Many of our friends have 5 (with #6 on the way).
One of them asked the other day if I felt any pressure to have more kids.
I answered that I didn't.
That wasn't entirely true.
Occasionally, I will feel like I am less of a mother because I have less children.
I know this is untrue, but occasionally, against my better judgement, the feeling still creeps in.
My husband and I have discussed, and prayed, and we both feel that our family is complete.
I still get a little sad thinking that I won't get to be pregnant again, or have another baby in the house.
That part of my life seems to be over, and it still makes me emotional.
However, I am just as much a mother as one who has 6, 8, 10, or even 20 kids.
I have friends who have been unable to have even one child added to their family,
and I believe they are just as much a mother as I am.
I also believe that my small family size will enable us to enjoy alternative avenues (fostering is still on my mind for the future).
For my large-familied friends, you have never made me feel less than you.
These are my own issues.
Just wanted to make that clear!  :)

And It's Still Raining

Seriously.  Still raining.

We got a bit more water in the basement.

Nothing like before.

But today I have reason to Celebrate!

It is our anniversary.

11 year ago, Rocky and I were married.

Dang, that makes me feel really old.

In 11 years, we have lived in 3 states, 8 different houses, owned 7 different cars, had 2 kids, 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs, and a fish.

And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

(OK, except maybe all the moving.  I am hoping to stay in one place for a while).

I still love looking at our wedding pictures (and if I had a scanner, I would have some on here for you to gaze at as well).

I can't seem to find the right words to describe the past 11 years, but just know that I look forward to the next 50 or so in this life (and then an eternity after).

And The Rains Came Down

For the majority of my life, I have lived in a desert climate.

(OK, I spent 3 years in Bogota, Colombia which is the opposite of desert, but that was only 3 years).

I am used to dry, dry, dry.

And very little rain.

Which is probably why I usually like the rain.

I love a good thunderstorm!

Until now.

It was rained everyday for the past, well, I have lost count of how many days.

And not on and off rain, but constant, steady, never-ending rain.

We saw the sun for the first time yesterday!

According to the news, we received about 8 inches of rain in one and a half days. 

And yesterday, this is what our area looked like:

Schools were closed early on Wednesday, and we haven't been back since.

We were lucky.

We only had 6 inches of water in our basement, which is not finished.

We do have a lot of cleaning to do, but most of the stuff down there is replaceable, and not very expensive.

I have friends who had almost a foot of water on the main floor of their house.

Many have been evacuated, and cannot return to their homes.

One of the most frustrating things for me has been that I can't get to my friends that need help.  The flooding has closed most of the roads the connect our small communities, so we are all essentially islands for the time being.  Just know that even though we can't get there physically, we are constantly thinking and praying for you.

While living in Utah, any time it would rain, there would always be at least one person to thank God during a Sunday prayer for the moisture that we had received.

Thinking about that made me laugh just a bit as we saw all the moisture we had accumulated.

I will also probably never enjoy the sound of rain on my roof as I fall asleep either.

School Days

We survived the first 2 days of school.

You may not think this is something to brag about, but after Ciara's first day experience, this is definitely something I am happy about.

I was worried more about Caden, being that it was his first day of Kindergarten.

He did great!

Walked into the building without so much as a backward glance.

I, on the other hand, was wiping away the tears as I made the long and lonely journey back home.

After school, I came to pick up the kids and asked how their first day was.

Caden said great!  

Loves his teacher, friends, lunch, recess, everything!

Ciara said terrible!

I was shocked.  

What could be so horrible?

Little did I know . . . .

There is a certain student in her grade.  I will call this student M.

M was disruptive, rude, and just plain awful.

Apparently, M threw a pencil box at the teacher's head, kicked and hit her, stole her scissors, attempted to cut the students, and cut the teacher.  I was also told that the teacher needed to get stitches.

The principal was called up to the room, and another teacher came in to remove the rest of the students out of the room while they dealt with M.

M has since been suspended from school for a few days, so yesterday was a really good day for Ciara.

I did go and talk to the guidance counselor to find out what will happen.

I don't want my daughter to have to deal with this throughout the whole year.

If M's behaviour doesn't improve, they can remove M from the school completely.

But at what point do they do that?

If I get a Dr's note stating that this situation is stressing my daughter out, I can have her put in an other class.  But would it stress her out more to switch classrooms?

I guess for now, I will be comfortable with the fact that M will NOT be back in class today, that the Principal will be closely monitoring the class, and that if it gets too bad I can fight to switch her teacher.

A lot of parents were talking about it yesterday at pick-up (whose kids were even in the class) and it just made me laugh a little to think that my daughter's first day will probably go down in elementary legend.  People will be talking about this for a LONG time.

Summer Can't Be Over!

What a summer! 

I feel like we have been going 100 mph. 

We have been to Chocolate World a few times, Lake Tobias, Halfway Dam, the Philadelphia Zoo, and everywhere in between.

Plus, we go swimming at our local pool almost everyday.

And the fun isn't over yet!

We are planning on going to NYC soon, and then next weekend Rocky and Cade will be going to a baseball game.

We have been filling in all the other days with trips to the pool and the library.

I still can't believe that school will be starting so soon.

We have the teacher assignments for the kids already.

Caden has 5 kids from his preschool class in his K class, but we can't seem to find anyone Ciara knows in her class.

I am just nervous about having no kids at home anymore.

What will I do?

My first instinct was to be a substitute teacher.

I called and got the application.

WOW.

I have to write essays, get an official college transcript in a sealed envelope, and fill out about a million papers.

Needless to say, a little more intense than I thought.

But I do think a part time job would be worth it.

I do have some conditions:

I can only work between the hours of 8-2:30, no Saturdays or Sundays, and I will need the school holidays off as well.

Does a job like that exist?

I guess I will find out.

(For those of you who have been asking about my father in law, he is doing much better.  It was pretty rough for a while, but he is now in a rehabilitation center.  You can get more updates on his condition at Joe and the Falling Tree.)

Baer's Anatomy

I have always thought (and hoped) that if my life were to resemble a TV show, it would be "Friends."  

Well, now that I am older and have kids, it might be more "Everybody Love Raymond."

For the past 2 weeks, our lives have seemed a little more like an episode from "Grey's Anatomy."

Most of you have already heard about this.

For those of you that haven't . . .

Last Saturday, while helping out with something at Girl's Camp, Joe (my father-in-law) was crushed by a falling tree.  He was life-flighted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

He had crushed vertebrae (6 I believe), and some broken ribs.

Amazingly enough, he was not paralyzed.

We were informed that all he needed was time to heal (like a year) and a special brace for his back.

After a few days, there seemed to be more wrong.

He wouldn't eat, and was having trouble breathing.

They discovered fluid compressing his lungs, and put in a tube to drain it.

Then there was a problem with blood clots, and he still was having trouble breathing.

They eventually intubated him, and planned on doing some sort of surgery on his lungs.

At this point, my mother-in-law finally decided to have him moved to a closer (and better) hospital.

I will just say that I am NOT a fan of UVRMC.  They did not make it easy for her to transfer him.

He was then life-flighted (again) to IMC.

They performed the lung surgery Wednesday evening, and took out his breathing tube yesterday.

They are still debating on whether or not to do any back surgery.

This is one of the times that I wish we did not live so far away.

If we were within driving distance, we could have been there for a lot of this.

Being 2000 miles away makes driving not so convenient.

And plane tickets are so expensive that we have difficulty flying out at a moments notice.

I know that we can't make him better by being there, but at least I would feel like we could alleviate some of the burden on Rocky's family because we would be there doing our part.

Instead, we wait here every day for news, hoping that it is good.

We are grateful to everyone who has been able to help, with fasting, prayers, visits, and the general love and concern that friends, family and neighbors have shown.

Family Pictures

Here is a sample of some family pictures we had taken a few weeks ago!  A friend of ours is a wedding photographer, and we had scheduled to do this the first week in May.  However, his wife went into labor on that day, so we had to postpone.
He also shoots what he calls "A Day In The Life" and I think that is what I will opt for next time.  I was probably a little up tight (no, never!  not me!) with the kids while trying to create the "perfect" picture of our family.  Next time, I will just go for candid shots of my family doing whatever it is we do during the day.
So if you are looking for a great photographer, check out Vantage Pictures here in PA!

Graduation

I can't believe the end of the school year is already here!

Since it was his last year of preschool, he had a graduation ceremony.

I was in tears the whole time.

I can't believe that we are done with preschool. 

And now both of my kids are in elementary school.

What will I do with myself next year??

Should I get a job?

Hmmmm, probably not.

I will just make myself available to volunteer in the classroom as much as possible!

I have noticed that I am very reluctant to let Caden grow up.

With Ciara, I am excited to see her take the next step, but I would like to keep Caden young for a little bit longer.

If time travel were possible, I would love to revisit the days when my kids were babies.

Rough Week

The plague has descended upon our house.

It all started last Friday with Ciara.

She woke up feeling not so great, so I let her stay home from school.

She got progressively worse throughout the day, with stomach pain, fever, and congestion.

Everyday, I thought she would get better, but she didn't.

She missed school on Monday as well.

Tuesday, she finally went back to school, even though she looked quite pale.

And lo and behold, Wednesday Caden came down with the same thing.

Ciara's also made a reappearance Wednesday night (they both woke up and threw up all over).

Thursday morning we had an appointment with an ENT.

I considered rescheduling, but being that it took me 8 weeks just to get an appointment, I wasn't going to give up my visit!

So I woke up the kids at 6:15 (the appointment was at 7:30, but it takes 30 mins to get to the hospital, and another 30 to navigate through the huge place to find the office).

I also gave them each a mixing bowl to carry with them at all times in case they got sick again.

So we trudged through the hospital, puke buckets in hand, to meet with the ENT.

Everything was fine at the appointment.

Ciara has some hearing loss (not permanent) due to fluid in her ears.

If it doesn't clear up in 6 weeks, we will put tubes in.

Anyway, we made it home, and both kids have been feeling pretty badly.  

Ciara has been not sleeping due to noises she hears.

She says she hears footsteps in her head all the time.

I tried explaining that she is just hearing her heartbeat (because of all the fluid in her ears) but she still thinks that someone is coming to get her.  

She wakes up crying multiple times per night with nightmares about this.

And she gets freaked out because she gets dizzy every time she shuts her eyes (another side affect of her ears).

I hope that we can make it the 6 weeks, and that it was actually resolve itself.

And to top it all off, I whacked my head extremely hard on the washing machine yesterday (don't ask me how).

Rocky thinks I need stitches, but I am still hopeful that it will just heal.  It seems to have stopped bleeding, but it is really hard to see because my hair is in the way.

Either way, it is just painful.

Could we please have one, healthy, accident-free month? 

Finally, Ciara's Birthday!

I love looking back at all these pictures!  What an adventure and joy you have been, Ciara.

Wait, Where Is My Hard Drive?

So this is supposed to be a birthday post for Ciara, but Rocky has taken the external hard drive.  That is of course where all the pictures are kept.  So I guess her post will have to come a little late!  

Sorry, Sweetie!

Instead, I will now impress you all with pictures of our painted living room and entryway.

I hung pictures too!

I am just so thrilled to have actual pictures hanging on my walls again.

Here are the befores:

The first picture of the hallway doesn't show the bright mustardy yellow color.  

and the living room was a stripey wallpaper, not actually pink.

Here is what is looks like now:

As I am comparing the pictures, the new ones looks kind of dismal.  

That is because it is raining.  

It really hasn't stopped raining for about a month now.

I will have to take more pictures when the sun in shining.

What Are They Thinking?

I am a little behind the times, but I just couldn't NOT write about this.

Abercrombie and Fitch has been all over the news lately for their padded, push-up bikini top.

No, it is not for adults.

Aimed at girls ages 8 and up, they created a push-up top, which has since been removed from their website.

They do, however, still have some tops (like the one shown below) on their kids site described as having a "removable pad."

This is one of the reasons I am so grateful to certain children's clothing retailers, such as Land's End.

This is what I want my daughter to look like while in a swimsuit.

Still like a kid, not a kid that looks like she is just a really short 17 year old.

I am not completely against bikini tops for girls.

But I know that even without the padding, there is NO WAY that my daughter would ever wear that triangle top. 

I am pretty sure that A&F can't show any kids wearing their suits because it could be considered child pornography.

  So, THANK YOU to all the retailers who keep kids dressed as kids.

Land's End is one of my favorites, basically because they have leggings that go with just about every dress, and all their skirts have shorts sewn into them.

Since I have a daughter who prefers dresses and skirts to just about anything, this has been a life saver.

They also have a great overstock section, where everything is always on sale.

I also enjoy Mini Boden and Tea Collection, but they tend to be a bit pricier.  

If I had the money, I would be shopping their as well.

Here is the news story I found regarding the push-up top:

The Birthday Boy

Instead of writing about how wonderful my son is, I thought I would take you on a picture journey of the last 5 years:

 He is still happiest with 2 spoons and 2 bowls of food in front of him.  We introduced him to the buffet style restaurant a few years ago, and he still prefers that style of restaurant to all others.  

Today, I let him pick a special place for us to eat lunch, and he picked the China House Buffet.  For his special birthday dinner, however, he picked salad for us all to eat.  

Happy  Birthday!

Ugh

I was going to write a post dedicated to Lands End.  

I wanted to thank them for allowing me to dress my children in clothes that let them be kids, and let them look like kids.

I have found that some places like to make children look like miniature teenager or adults.

Anyway, I had it all planned out.

And then another illness.

Ciara has another ear infection.

That makes 5 since the middle of December.

Now we get to see a specialist.

Unfortunately, we can't get into see the ENT until the middle of May.

I hate waiting.  I really just want this taken care of.

I also hate the fact that she has had 5 different antibiotics.

I was under the impression that as children got older, their ear infections would be less and less.

Why is she getting them more and more?

And Caden still had fluid in his ear, but it isn't infected.

Give it another week, and we will probably be back in to see the pediatrician.

Out With the Old

I have decided that I would like a new wedding ring.

No, not a bigger ring.

Just a new one.

I know that my husband is not too keen on this idea.

I am fine with selling my original ring in order to get a new one.

Does this make me heartless?

I love what the ring symbolizes, not the physical thing.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think my ring is ugly.

It has just become inconvenient.

It is a traditional diamond solitaire, with 2 diamond bands surrounding it.

What I don't like is the big solitaire.

I hit it on stuff all the time.

I scratch things (and people) with it.

Another problem I have with it is the metal. 

It is made of white gold, which need to be coated with rhodium occasionally to keep it looking silver.

This tends to get annoying.

I have been doing some research online, and have decided I would like my next ring to be made of palladium.

It is mean to be lighter in weight, and is naturally a silvery color, so no rhodium coating needed.

Plus, it isn't as expensive as platinum.

Here are some examples of what I want:



Am I asking for too much??

Prescriptions

Of course my kids just can't get over their illnesses. 

Ciara has been through 4 rounds of antibiotics to get rid of her last ear infection (and the last prescription gave her a reaction).

And now Caden is on round 2 for his latest ear infection.

With Rocky's new job, we had to switch to an individual insurance plan.  His work pays a certain amount each month towards our premium, which makes it work out pretty well. 

The plan we currently have does not have a prescription coverage. 

It would have been and extra $100 per month to be covered (out of our pocket).

None of us are using any prescription on a regular basis, so we decided that it was just a waste.

Even after all the medicine we have needed these past few months, I still know it wouldn't be worth having the coverage.

But still.

Amoxicillian I am OK with.  At Walmart, it is only $4.  But the next antibiotic that we need is $81. 

Why does it have to cost so much?

If it doesn't work, can I bring it back for a full refund?

I would LOVE to see that!

Luckily we have a discount card that saved us $20.

Where do these discount cards come from?

If they are free, then why do I need a card?  Can't you just lower the price?

Obviously, I don't understand our health care system.

And the reason I don't understand it is:

IT MAKES NO SENSE.

Stereotype

I do not enjoy being confronted with stereotypes. 

 Really, I don't think anyone does. 

But it seems that we just can't help but believe them.

As a Mormon, there are MANY stereotypes that people think define me.

I would like to dispel some of these.

1.  I did not grow up in Utah.

2.  I am not a huge fan of the Osmond's (I actually had to google them to get the spelling right).

3.  I am not a Republican.

4.  I am the only wife of my husband (I am amazed to find out how many people actually believe that we are polygamists).

5.  I only have 2 children, and no, I do not plan on having 8.

6.  I am not in love with Mitt Romney.

7.  I do not support Glenn Beck (frankly, he kind of creeps me out).

8.  I once had a nose ring, and I still have tattoos.

9.  I do not consider BYU to be the only option for my kids future college plans.

(I actually worry that my kids will want to go there someday.)

10.  I love Tupac.

Just thought you might like to know!

To Etsy or Not

Since I have taken up crocheting, Rocky has been encouraging me to sell my items on Etsy.  I have gone so far as to create a page, but I have not listed anything on it yet.  

Basically, I am afraid.

I guess I am afraid of failing.  

What if no one buys anything?

What if they buy it and HATE it?

Then I was introduced to the website regretsy, and my fear was increased. 

What if I wind up on regretsy??????

I know that Rocky is just encouraging me to sell my wares to make money.

I think he still harbours hopes that I will be his sugar-mama someday.

I think he is delusional.

OK, I WILL post my stuff on there.  

I WILL get over my fear of failure.

Even if no one buys anything, it still keeps my hands busy, and gives me something to do.

I will let you all know when it is done.

Caden is standing beside me and would like me to tell you that he has stinky bums and stinky brains.  

He thinks this is the epitome of humor.

Eggs

As Ciara and I were running errands on Saturday, she began to ask questions of a delicate nature. 

I am not sure I am ready for this! 

"Mom, how to babies get in the mommies tummies?"

In my head, I am panicking, trying to find an appropriate answer for my 6 year old without lying.

I want to be honest, but not brutally honest.

I explained that all mommies have eggs in their tummies, and that is where the babies come from.

"But mom, how do the eggs crack open?"

Then I had to explain that the eggs that mommies have are not like the eggs we eat for breakfast.  They are much smaller. 

"Well, what do they look like?"

That was one I really couldn't answer.  I just tried to explain that they are very, very small.

I know that this is just the beginning of questions like these. 

Will I ever feel prepared to answer them all?

Will I ever feel that she is old enough to hear the answers?

These questions are just a reminder that in a few short years, I will have to have a MUCH more detailed talk to her about these eggs and what exactly it all means.

Can't my kids just stay small and innocent forever?

Missionary Work

Missionary work is a big thing for the Mormons.

Especially out here where we are few and far between.

We are taught that every member is a missionary.

I struggle with this.

For me, my beliefs are such a personal and private thing that I have a hard time bringing it up to other people.

However, I have a plan.

I will be a stealth Mormon. 

I will just be the wonderful, perfect person that I am.

I won't tell anyone that I am LDS.

Everyone will want to be like me.  

They will see my wonderfulness, and strive to do everything that I do.

Including . . . 

Go to my church.

When they find out what church it is, they will be so consumed with thoughts of being like me that they will gladly follow me into church.

How is that for a plan?

(In case you couldn't tell, I am being extremely sarcastic.  I really don't expect people to want to emulate me.  However, if you do decide to be just like me, contact me and I can give you some pointers.)

We do feed our young missionaries on a regular basis, and have enjoyed getting to know all of them.

Here are our missionaries hard at work.

They built some snowmen and decorated them with their pass along cards.  

Must have been a slow day.

Looking Back

I did not blog much last year. 

You would think that not much happened. 

The opposite is actually true. 

I guess that so much kept happening that I was unable to keep up!

A quick recap of 2010:

Rocky started a new job.

Moved 2200 miles to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Bought a house in Selinsgrove (so another move, but not so far).

Ciara and Caden attended 3 different schools.

All of my grandmothers died.

Rocky started another new job, but this time in State College.

New church callings (Sunday school teacher for me, Elder's Quorum Presidency for Rocky)

Lots of exploring!

(NYC, DC, Philadelphia, Lancaster, Baltimore, Hershey)

We have now officially lived in PA for 1 year.

I feel like I have learned some things.

1.  I am still fascinated with the Amish.

2.  Small country down does not always equal less diversity.

3.  I am a pretty good baker.

4.  40 degrees here is MUCH colder than 40 degrees in Utah or Colorado.

5.  Snow is not always powdery.

6.  Probably most importantly, Heavenly Father has his hand in all things.  I don't understand a lot of it right now, and a lot of things have not gone as planned (aka jobs) but I still know there is a purpose to all of this. 

I will also have to post some pictures of my new hobby, crocheting! 

I have been making baby hats constantly.

Not sure why, since I have no babies myself.

Considering starting and Etsy store to sell them. 

Remembering

On Friday, my cousin and his wife welcomed their first child.  Thank goodness for technology, because it was on facebook that I found out that her water broke, and through texting that I was notified that she had been born.

They live in Las Vegas, so the chance of me seeing this new baby anytime soon is quite small.

I do love babies!

Every time I hear the news of a new baby, I immediately start to reminisce about my own birthing experience.  Does everyone do that?

And now you all get to read about it!  

(Aren't you lucky?)

Ciara was late.  I can remember on my due date taking a walk with a co-worker (while at work, I think he was trying to get me to go into labor) and people would stop and ask when I was due.

Telling them all that today was my due date was kind of upsetting.

It got worse the next few days when I would have to say, "Oh, it was 5 days ago!"

She stayed in 10 days too long, and we finally decided it was time for her to get out.

She was officially evicted on April 19th.

I didn't want to be induced (I was hoping to go without an epidural) but was so tired of being pregnant, and going to the non-stress tests twice a week.  

Plus, I had almost no amniotic fluid left.

Anyway, they broke my water, and hooked me up to pitocin.

Wow, that stuff worked fast!

I was in the worst pain ever for about 4 hours when I finally changed my mind and got the epidural.

I slept for the rest of my labour, pushed for about 2 hours (2 hours and 20 minutes to be exact) and there she was, my 9 lb baby girl.

Caden was a little different.

They  knew he was going to be big, and at the last ultrasound (a week before his due date), they estimated him to be close to 11 lbs.  

So my Dr decided that she was not "comfortable" delivery such a large baby, and pushed me to have a c-section.  

I knew that he was not that big, and that I could do this the "regular" way, but after her terrifying me with stories of paralyzed arms and brain damage, we decided to have the c-section.

It was so quick, and anti-climactic.

But I did have a healthy almost 10 lb baby boy.

I wish I could go back and experience those days just one more time.

(Yes, I realized I could just have another baby to experience it again, but I really don't want another baby, just the experience of giving birth again.  What a magical day!)