Catch UP

I have been working a ton these last few weeks and have been too busy to post. I have become quite addicted to this blogging stuff, so I have made it a point to log on and see what everyone else is up to, just have not taken the time to post – I think I am what people call a “blog stalker”. I have had good intentions and have been taking pictures with the thought “I’ll have to post this later”, so here goes.

Two weeks ago, Allen bent down to pick up our “rock” of a baby and did something to his back. I was sleeping because I had worked the night before and was scheduled to work that night. He came gimping into our room and woke me up saying he needed help because he couldn’t pick Rock up. I made him go to Instacare and he did very grudgingly. Nothing major was wrong, just something with the muscle - he just needed some rest and heat to it. So I had to call in for 2 nights to help him take care of the kids. He is rather embarrassed by the whole ordeal but I think if anyone should be embarrassed, it should be Rock – what a chunk!!! The girls had a dance performance the next night that I would have had to miss due to work, but since Allen was still gimping around I got to go! They looked so cute and did a great job!! I’m glad they didn’t inherit my coordination and balance.



Friday the 13th was a Valentine’s Tea at school. Danni came home on Wednesday and was talking all about it. It is a chance where the girls and boys learn etiquette and manners. The kids dress up for school that day and the boys pull out the chairs for the girls as they sit and then ask the girls if they would like anything. Danni was soooo excited that she would get to sit by a boy :) Thursday night they picked out their dresses, made sure their Valentine cards were all together and put the finishing touches on their Valentine Day card holders. Later that night, Danni woke up puking. She woke her Daddy up to help her and puked another time or two. Needless to say, she stayed home sick and had to miss the Valentines Tea. Sammi was able to go and had lots of fun at her Tea and party.
Sammi all ready for her Valentines Tea
Sick bubba in bed the morning of her Valentines Tea

This past week I had to go the dentist and found out that I need two root canals and two fillings. I am not looking forward to the pain involved with the root canals. The only good thing I can think of is maybe I will lose a few pounds.

Finally, on Sunday my baby turned 1!! It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant. It is so sad to see him growing up so fast. We just did a little celebration with our family and will celebrate more with relatives coming from out of town this weekend. What is even more crazy is that Rock just took off walking on his own Saturday night!! We cheered for him so much that he kept doing it just to make his sisters and mom and dad happy. I can't believe how big he is!!!

Our family tradition on birthdays is that the birthday person gets to pick where we eat dinner. Since Rock is too young this year we took a family vote and ate at a Mexican place. This is Rock as the staff sang Happy Birthday to him in Spanish!

Happy Birthday Rock!!

I can see the snowflakes!!

Last week we went in for our annual eye exam. Allen and I have terrible vision and up until last week, we didn’t think our kids had been blessed with that flaw. The girls kept saying how they hoped they would get to pick out new glasses and Allen and I kept telling them how awful glasses were and that they should be glad that they don’t need them.

In 1st grade Sammi had to get reading glasses, but the doctor thought that she would eventually grow out of them and she did. At this last exam we found out that our poor Danni inherited our imperfection. She has never complained about not being able to see, so we never imagined that she would require glasses. So Danni got to pick out new frames and Sammi sat by and sulked that she didn’t need glasses. I told her over and over how she should be so happy about not needing glasses because they can get in the way of so many things. Then I had to tell Danni how she’ll be so happy with her glasses now because she’ll be able to see. Being a parent requires a lot of hypocrisy and secrecy at times. During each pep talk, I had to make sure the other didn’t hear me!!

On Monday we were able to go pick up Danni’s new glasses and she was very excited! She listened very attentively to all the instructions the fitter gave her about her new eyesight. She is soooo much like me, it’s crazy, such a rule-follower. As we left the office, it was snowing outside and Danni said, “Mom, I can the see the snowflakes!!” I felt terrible that her eyes were so bad that she couldn’t see the snow before and worse that she never told me about it!!

Doesn’t she look adorable in her glasses? Allen says she looks like a mini me.

Valentines

With Valentines Day coming up and all the school parties, the time has come to make Valentine Day Card holders. When I was little, we actually used to make the boxes at school, but these days elementary kids are too busy preparing for college to do something so frivolous at school! The girls and I went to Wal-mart to pick out the supplies along with their Valentine Day cards. Picking the cards is a very serious matter in the 1st and 4th grades, because you have to make sure not to get ones that the boys are going to think are too girlie.

After homework the other night we began working on their boxes. My controlling self was really trying to help them and tell them what to do, but they didn’t want to listen. Can you believe that they had their own ideas? Since nobody was using my ideas and because it looked like they were having so much fun,



I decided to make my own card-holder. I just hope I get some Valentines in them on Valentines Day!!

I guess I really am happy that my kids are willing to do what they want to do and not just follow another.

Sammi's Sunday

Just over two years ago, Sammi decided she wanted to become a member of the LDS church. We had gone to church on and off over the years, but nothing steady. Because of this, our bishop recommended that she receive the missonary discussions first. He also highly suggested that we listen to the discussion as a family, and so we did. A few months later Allen was ordained a priest and was able to baptize Sammi. It was a wonderful day. Her Uncle Randy did the confirmation.



She has been quite upset with me the last few months because I have not been able to take her to church. I work 12-hour night shifts and it is hard enough getting sleep on a normal day. But when church starts at 1, that means I would only get 3 hours of sleep before my next 12-hour shift, and it seems that I always get to work weekends :). Today she decided to go to church on her own. She got ready all by herself and Allen dropped her off at church. She found her class and went to primary all on her own. And when primary was over, she met Allen just outside the church house, again, all on her own. What a big girl!! She had a great time and was very happy that she went. She told us that she wants to continue going, even if I cannot take her. She definitely is growing up and has set an amazing example to our family. I am very proud of her and love her so much.

First Ever Blog!!

Wow, I finally have a blog!! My sister helped me set this up today and I am still playing with it and learning what to do. My sister and her family live in Bountiful and came up to visit last night. We went to Hardware Ranch today to visit the Elk Reserve. The kids loved it and I also found it quite exciting. Afterwards we went out to lunch and I was soooo looking forward to some yummy food, but guess where we went? The kids rode with my sister and her husband and Allen and I followed. Needless to say, we were not as excited as the kids when we pulled into the McDonalds parking lot!! Oh well, it was a fun day and the kids got to play with their cousins. I am grateful that I have family relatively close by that we can do such activities with.