Hehehe!!

This blog is dedicated to our very good friends, Chad and Carole.

While we were living in NC, we made some great friends who one day invited us to go camping. On the first weekend in November. In the mountains. With three kids under four. Sounds crazy, I know, but it really was a blast. Wish I knew where some pictures were to post.

Anyway, so, we decided to go camping one morning so Chad could check out this campground for a scout campout. I spent the day collecting all the things I could imagine we might need under such a situation as mentioned above. Brandon came home from work and grabbed the tent, a couple of sleeping bags and, like, a box of cereal or something and stated we were ready to go. I laughed in his face and told him the large pile of stuff in the middle of the kitchen needed to go out to the van, including practically every blanket in the house. So, he kind of fumed as he hauled all the stuff down the steps to the van and then tried to load it all. I hope Chad and Carole will remember how much he griped about it and then had to eat his words as we truly used every blanket we brought that night and every single thing I had packed.

Ok, so the reason for this memory is Brandon just left for an overnighter/five-mile-hike with his 11-year-old scouts and I laughed as I watched him load all his stuff into the van. His huge hiking pack was stuffed to the hilt with extra stuff hanging off it and there was no tent included! And, he has this plan that they are going to pack in our HUGE tent for our family that must weigh 30 pounds so all the boys can sleep in it. And then the tarps they had to take along because the forecast is for rain... I think one of the dads was chuckling under his breath watching Brandon load all this stuff. All this for a man who swore up and down all he needed was a tent, a sleeping bag and a box of granola bars!

I'll probably be in trouble when he reads this, but it was worth it. I just hope it really turns out ok. I think they are going to be wet and cold.

What happened to my toes?

Can you find them? Or any part of my feet?
My belly at 34 weeks.

Boys will be boys

So, both the boys crashed and burned in the same day. I felt so bad for them that I decided to post in on the blog so everyone could enjoy their owies!

Sterling was playing outside at Grandpa's and tripped on the edge of the sidewalk resulting in quite a few scrapes. Knees, elbow, hands, and nose. Poor kiddo.

Then, after we got home, Hyrum was running to put a diaper in the garbage, slipped, and banged his eye on the edge of the trash can. I'm not quite sure how it resulted in a scrape since it is a plastic trash can with rounded edges, but if this boy can find a way of getting hurt, it'll happen.

This is a great picture of the boys that Brandon took one day when they were at the park.

And then, amazingly, they were sitting together one day watching a movie without arguing! It is moments like these that make it seem like maybe I'm doing ok.

Change the dad to a mom and this is how I feel every night. I love the Family Circus!!

Sterling's preschool assignment

Sterling had to do a school assignment of interviewing a parent for a "newspaper" article. Of course, I had to go overboard and make something that actually looked like a newspaper!

Anyway, this was awhile ago but I thought Sterling should something up here that he was proud of.



The paper talks about his extreme knowledge of dinosaurs. Yeah, he doesn't really care about those anymore. He likes video games and superheros now.

Congratulations to my wonderful husband

I have said over and over that we have been extraordinarily blessed, and again there had been another blessing beyond belief. In a time when many are taking pay cuts or losing jobs all together, my husband has gotten a promotion and a coinciding raise. I know that this is all because are doing our very best to follow the diving guidance we receive and our Father loves us. I can't even explain how grateful we are.

Congratulations my handsome husband. I love you and you are our superhero.

The follow-up and 33 weeks!

So, as a follow up with "Can you hear me now," just the threat of a time out has worked and I am so glad. OK, I just know I am going to jinx myself saying this, but I never had issues with the terrible twos or horrible threes with Sterling. Four, on the other hand, has been a real trial of my patience and I don't think patience is winning. There also could be a lot said for me being tired all the time. I'm not a great mom when I'm tired. Heck, I'm not a great anything when I'm tired!!!

I went in to the doctor today and am progressing just fine. A little anemic, but that's because I don't take my prenatal vitamins. Uh, I'm already at my 30 pound weight gain, though, and that is kind of scary for me. I'm still probably going to gain a pound a week! Yikes! That will be the largest number I've ever seen when on the scale!!

I also had to go find something to wear to my sister-in-laws engagement party next weekend. That was a complete exercise in frustration!! I hate maternity clothes!! I found a pair of pants that were appropriate, but finding a shirt was a nightmare. I finally found a tunic-type shirt at Sears in the Juniors Dept that I got in XL and it looks great!! No mumu!! I can't wait to get back into my old clothes.