Living somewhere over the rainbow...

Aidan-bug....

2012-01-25T15:11:00.002-06:00

When I was pregnant with Aidan my kids downloaded this song called "Ladybug, Ladybug" onto my iPhone and they'd listen to it over and over and over again. After I had Aidan I often found myself singing this song as I rocked him to sleep, changing the word to "Aid-y-Bug, Aid-y-Bug.". Soon after I began calling him by the nickname BUG. Aidan was a difficult baby....a very, very difficult baby.

3 years....

2012-01-22T12:00:00.000-06:00

3 years ago today I lost my very best friend, my mommy, to cancer. I miss her every single day. Every. Single. Day. I wish she was still here to talk to, to offer advice, to see my family grow, but I know I will see her again someday and I take comfort in that. I love you mommy. ♥

My Week in Review...Jan 16-20

2012-01-20T14:17:00.001-06:00

Monday: After an eventful day of shopping in Joplin with all of our kids we walked back to the car, loaded it up with all our Sam's Club goodies, strapped everyone into their seat belts, put the key in the ignition and.....nothing. Our battery was dead. So of course we had jumper cables right? Of course not! So we basically waited for the next 30-45 minutes asking every person that walked by if

A Family Outing to KC....

2012-01-17T10:30:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we took a quick trip up to Kansas City for one of Brinton's medical appointments. We decided to take the whole family up for the day and check out the progress on the Kansas City Temple....it's so beautiful, I seriously CAN'T WAIT to have a temple so close and not have to drive 4-5 hours!(It was incredibly bright...squinting, squinting)(Julianna and Aidan fell asleep in the

Christmas Day....

2012-01-16T08:01:00.000-06:00

Christmas Day we woke up at 7am. The kids got their presents from Santa and then we ate breakfast and got ready for church. After church we came home opened more presents, watched a movie about the birth of Christ, talked about how special and amazing his birth was, colored nativities and then took long, long naps. It was a perfect Christmas and I LOVE that it was on Sunday so we could really

Christmas Eve Brinner 2011

2012-01-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

Every year we hold a Christmas Eve Brinner, where we make a big fancy breakfast for dinner. The best part about Brinner is not the eating but the cooking. Everyone invited chips in with the cooking and even the kids get to help, sometimes unsolicited. Like when I was whisking the eggs and I set them down to grab some milk and Aidan decided to climb up on the table and do some whisking

The Kids on Christmas Eve....

2012-01-16T07:59:00.001-06:00

This post is more for Grandparents....bear with me....AshlynneBrintonEliseJuliannaLiamAidanThe KidsMe....cause I like this picture....even though it's blurry

On Little Wings - a book

2012-01-05T11:36:00.004-06:00

Regina Sirois is one of my good friends and seriously one of my favorite people in the universe. I am so incredibly excited for her because she has finally accomplished one of her goals and written/published a book!! Her novel is titled "On Little Wings" and this what the book description says:"Jennifer must do the impossible – bring her mother home. When a family is torn apart by death, two

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours!!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Branson....

2011-12-22T08:00:00.001-06:00

Elise's birthday was the same day as Jeremiah's Christmas Party for ITT Tech which happened to be in Springfield about an hour from Branson. My dad had been staying with us for a month and was set to fly out from Springfield the next day so we decided to stay in Branson overnight. Dad watched the kids for us while we attended the Christmas Party and then the next day in Branson we had some time

The Ripley's Museum...

2011-12-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

Elise has a love of all things quirky. Each year, since she was about 4, she has asked Santa Claus for a Ripley's Believe It or Not book and each year Santa provides. She loves the book so much that she reads them over and over, looks at every single picture, carries it everywhere she goes, and sometimes she has been known to destroy the entire book binding because she reads it so much. Back

Elise turns 9

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

So amidst all the sicky drama at our house Elise had her 9th birthday on Dec 10th. We had her her Birthday lunch at the Grand Country Buffet in Branson, MO because she LOVES that place. I made her a kit with 5 colors of homemade, kool-aid scented playdough, which she absolutely adores. She also got a cupcake making kit with cupcake mix, frosting mix, and red/green sprinkles. She is such an

What a month!!

2011-12-19T14:38:00.012-06:00

You've probably been wondering where I've been. (note:blogger is being all screwy and this post came out all weird)First there was Brinton's surgery and home coming and adjustment to all that. Small tasks, like eating, require lots of help because he can't bring his head to the food and bringing the food to his mouth by himself doesn't always happen so gracefully. He is dressing himself

Pinterest & Look what I made....

2011-11-20T13:00:00.000-06:00

Back in August a friend of mine sent me an invitation to Pinterest. I took a look around the site a little bit before creating an account and I had no interest. It seemed too complicated and just too much. I couldn't see myself using or needing virtual pin boards to post my ideas because I could just bookmark stuff in my favorites and be done with it. Except that sometimes I would forget why

Guess who is going home today?!

2011-11-16T17:51:00.001-06:00

Post Surgery Update: Day #4 and TONS OF PHOTOS

2011-11-15T11:56:00.009-06:00

So today is Day #4 post-surgery BUT technically Day #5 since surgery was Friday AND really Day #7 since we arrived here for Pre-ops and all that stuff....It's been a long, long roller coaster-y week. Brinton is doing AMAZING today and the Dr. this morning said it's likely he could be released today. I have a feeling based on some physical therapy things that still need to be accomplished we'll

Post Surgery: Day #3

2011-11-14T16:41:00.001-06:00

So Brinton did pretty good yesterday (Day #2) although he was still experiencing quite a bit of pain. He was able to eat half of a small cup of Jello and drink some sprite and he kept it all down so that was pretty huge. This morning I met very, very briefly with the Orthopaedic Surgeon and a nurse practitioner. They have a long list of things they would like for him to accomplish....TODAY.

Post-surgery Update

2011-11-13T10:42:00.001-06:00

It's Sunday morning and I kept wanting to get to an actual laptop to download pics and write a proper post but it just hasn't happened. Thank goodness for the new blogger app on my iPhone because it's the only way I can keep the updates coming at this point. This will probably be pretty discombobulated but I'm a little lacking on sleep. So Friday was pretty eventful. Quick Recap: We

Updates...

2011-11-11T18:39:00.001-06:00

I've been posting frequent updates on Facebook but I realize that there are several of my family and friends that are not on Facebook and will be checking my blog for updates as well. 1:50ish - Taken back to surgery. 4:00pm - call from the OR Nurse. They finished putting on his halo, positioning, and whatever-else they do....they are going to start the operation NOW. (I'm seriously amazed

Surgery Day

2011-11-11T14:30:00.001-06:00

We were scheduled to be here at 10am and after a long, long, long wait he was finally taken back to the operating room at around 2pm. He was in good spirits when we parted. Now we wait.... Here is an iPhone photo of Brinton right before he headed down the hall to surgery. I'll likely post more photos from my camera later today. Thank you for your thoughts, love, and prayers. We feel them!!!!

Guest Writer at The More the Merrier...

2011-11-11T01:11:00.001-06:00

Today I'm a guest writer over at The More the Merrier. Diane is a wonderful, homeschooling mommy to 8, and she has been hosting a Week of Faith on her blog all week, with a new contributor each day. The stories and experiences shared so far have been wonderfully uplifting. You can read my post "Trust in the Lord" by clicking right there....where it says Trust in the Lord in purple (it's my

Appointments, appointments, appointments...

2011-11-09T20:00:00.001-06:00

Today was another day full of pre-op appointments. It started with Pre-admissions testing, then long meetings with anesthesiologists and specialists. After one last quick appointment with his orthopedic surgeon we met with Hangar Orthotics to get some measurements for his halo and vest. Days like this seem to last forever and you go from one end of the hospital to the other getting to each

Family Pics 2011....

2011-11-07T14:00:00.002-06:00

Prior to Brinton's surgery I wanted to have some family pictures taken of all of us together and some of him alone. There wasn't really a lot of time to plan for these photos and a small budget for what we wanted. We really lucked out and a sweet, sweet, wonderful, darling girl in my ward was able to take them a couple of weeks ago. I must say that I'm pretty happy with how they turned out

A Week on Faith...

2011-11-07T10:37:00.003-06:00

Diane, an amazing mother of 8, who writes at "The More the Merrier" is hosting a Week on Faith on her blog this week. She has asked several guest writers to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences with faith which she in turn will be posting every day this week. I think this is a fantastic idea and I'm really excited that I was asked to be a part of it. I'll be contributing this Friday

The Clock is Ticking...

2011-11-05T21:04:00.002-05:00

So as many of you already know Brinton, my 10 year old son, is having a pretty major surgery on Friday and its weighing a little heavy on my mind right now. Actually, can I be frank with you? I get physically ill every time I think about it. My stomach gets all tied in knots and I feel like vomiting.My heart hurts. It's so hard to find the words but I need to try because I can't keep burying

12 years...

2011-11-04T14:00:00.001-05:00

Today my beautiful, sweet, amazing, intelligent, creative, first born child Ashlynne turns 12 years old. It's so hard not to sound cliche' when I say that I can't believe that my beautiful baby girl is already 12 years old because it's the truth. I look at the last 12 years and I'm so grateful for the light she has been in my life. I was 17 when Jeremiah and I were married, just 18 when I gave

Preparing for Surgery & a Trip to Build-a-Dino

2011-11-02T14:02:00.009-05:00

Brinton is scheduled for surgery next week Friday, November 11th. He will be having a C1-C2 Posterior Fusion to stabilize his neck due to his Os Odontoideum and he will be in the hospital for roughly one week after he is released from PICU. Last week we had to go up to Kansas City for a long day of pre-operative tests and consults. Our day started very early in the morning so we headed up there

Tuesday Morning Messages...

2011-11-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

Happy November!Dear Jeremiah,I believe in you. I'm so grateful to have a husband like you that works so hard to provide for our family even amid all the school work and the crazy schedule you have. You da best!Love AlidaDear Ashlynne,This week you'll turn 12. Sunday was your last week in Primary and when we all joined in singing you "Happy, happy birthday Ashlynne dear..." I actually started

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:09:00.009-05:00

Well we survived!! The costumes and the trick or treating that is, tomorrow will tell if we've actually survived the day after. With Halloween falling on Monday this year it's any one's guess how the kids will actually hold up in school tomorrow. I would hate to be a teacher on the day after the biggest candy binge fest of the year. Just Saying.I have to brag for about 10 seconds....this year I

Friday Foto #10: Grandpa makes me giggle

2011-10-28T13:54:00.000-05:00

It is Crazy Hair Day!

2011-10-27T07:38:00.001-05:00

We love Red Ribbon Week in our house because the week is full of crazy fun for the kids...Monday we had no school, Tuesday they got to wear their pjs to school, Wednesday they wore their clothes inside out and today was CRAZY HAIR DAY! Julianna initially wanted a Mohawk but we went with a cave girl sort of look instead, Brinton's hair was too short to do anything more then spikes but he looked

Aidan Has Perfect Timing....

2011-10-26T08:35:00.001-05:00

Monday was a beautiful day. The weather was amazing, the sky was a beautiful clear blue...it.was.perfect. I was feeling great because we had planned our family photos for Monday afternoon and it was obviously going to be a great day for pictures. Until.... Poor sweet Aidan was going about his business, toddling around the house like he owned the place when he tripped on Liam's shoe and Wham

Friday Foto #9: Oldest and Youngest

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Messages...(on Wednesday)

2011-10-19T20:39:00.002-05:00

It's been far too long since I've written a Tuesday Message (since June!) and I think it's time to bring it back. I've just spent the last hour reading through them and I realize how much I love these little letters to my family so I'm going to make a real effort to keep them going. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. JeremiahI want you to know how much I love and appreciate you. I'm grateful

A New Brinton...

2011-10-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Brinton has gone months without a haircut. Actually I don't think he's had a haircut since January when he decided to take a razor to his hair and "shave" some of it off! Finally I just couldn't stand it any longer, the mop had to go. At the parade on Saturday he keep flipping his head to get his hair out of his eyes, he could barely see the floats! I decided right then and there that the

PSU Homecoming Parade

2011-10-17T07:12:00.010-05:00

Here in Pittsburg it seems like almost everyone lives and breathes Pittsburg State University. I have NEVER seen a place with more university school pride then Pittsburg and that's saying A LOT because I grew up in Provo, UT, home of the BYU Cougars. It's football season around here and every Saturday the whole city wears their Pitt State gear to show pride for their home team. This last week was

Raised from the dead....

2011-10-11T16:31:00.002-05:00

So after my dumb cell phone decided to not work last night and after I threw a gi-normous fit and after I wrote a facebook status about it and after I dedicated an entire blog post to it I had this thought...."Put it back in the rice over night and try again in the morning" So I did it and lo and behold when I woke up this morning it worked! *tender mercies* *tear*My music is gone from the ipod

Ding Dong My iPhone's dead....

2011-10-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

BLAH! *sigh* and BLAH!On Thursday I took Julianna to her dance class. We were running a bit behind so I decided she'd just get dressed in the bathrooms at dance rather then waste time getting dressed at home. So we get there and we go into the restroom and I set my keys and my cell phone on the floor next to me so that I can help her into her tights...next thing I know I hear "PLOP" and I think

Friday Foto #8: Brotherly Love

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Julianna turns 6

2011-10-05T16:11:00.004-05:00

Julianna turned 6 on Thursday, September 29th her birthday party is this weekend but I thought I'd take a second to write 6 of my favorite things about Julianna Kate. 1. When she woke up on her birthday she ran down the stairs and stood by the hallway staring at me as I sat on the couch. I said, "What?" and she jumped up and down and said, "I'm SIX!!" She was so incredibly excited. For 4 days

Happy 1st Birthday Aidan!!

2011-10-05T15:00:00.005-05:00

This last year went way too fast and before I knew it zooooooommmmmmm it was Aidan's birthday and he was turning one years old! Holy Moly! So in honor of his first birthday (Monday, September 26th) you can check out his home birth story if you so choose:Aidan's Birth Story Part 1Aidan's Birth Story Part 2Aidan's Birth Story Part 3and because everyone loves a picture of a baby smashing through

35 years on the planet....

2011-10-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my awesome husband!You're 35! Good golly you're old.....this makes mefeel much, much, much better about turning 30. I Love You!

30th Birthday Celebration Vacation...

2011-10-04T08:00:00.005-05:00

*Adorable birthday gift made by my friend MelindaAll year long I've been thinking about how I wanted to celebrate my 30th birthday. To be honest I can't remember what I did on my 20th birthday but I had already been married for nearly 3 years and had 2 children by then. My 21st birthday was spent in the PICU (Pediatric ICU) with Brinton as he recovered in critical condition from his 3rd surgery

Welcome October!

2011-10-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Well folks we survived September.The beginning of September was spent recovering from surgery and still trying to be a mommy and wife. It was a little bit exhausting but I have a wonderful husband, a fantastic father, and friends who love me so much that our family made it through mostly unscathed.The middle of September brought a 30th birthday celebration vacation in Branson, Mo, followed by

Updates and a 2nd Surgery.....

2011-08-31T17:09:00.006-05:00

So many things to share. I don't even know where to begin or how to explain. First, the pathology came back on my d&c last week and it turns out that it was not a molar pregnancy. What relief, that removes so many of my fears like the weekly blood draws, and possible chemo treatments. However, it does mean that I had a miscarriage which makes things just a little more heartbreaking and real.

Complications...

2011-08-26T18:01:00.004-05:00

I've had a few setbacks since surgery. After surgery I had a ton of pain on my right side. I initially thought it was totally normal but even with pain medication it wasn't getting any better. I made a call to my doctor on Wednesday and the nurse told me to continue taking the pain meds and if I developed a fever or the pain intensified to call in the morning. I went about my day popping pain

Surgery Day for that Stinky Molar Pregnancy

2011-08-23T18:33:00.007-05:00

Today I've been "pregnant" for 13 weeks. I could write a novel but in short today was a crappy day. I spent all night tossing turning and having nightmares worthy of horror movies. I had to be up early to get the kids onto the school bus and then I had to drive Ashy to school because she needed to be at the middle school earlier then the bus would get her there. I came home and tried to

A little something growing inside of me....Warning: This is a long Post.

2011-08-19T16:02:00.006-05:00

It's weird to make an announcement and then take it away in the same sentence but that's exactly what I'm going to do... I'm 12 weeks pregnant and I'm not 12 weeks pregnant. I mean my body thinks it's pregnant but it's not really. Is that the weirdest thing you've ever heard? Let's go back a little bit... In June of this year a pregnancy test revealed that I was expecting our 7th child.

Elementary School....

2011-08-18T22:22:00.007-05:00

Well yesterday was the first day of school for Ashlynne and today was the first day of school for everyone else. To be quite honest I think it's so silly to start school on a Friday. It's like, let's get the kids all out of their summer "routine" throw them into ONE DAY of school and let them sleep in the next two days because it's the weekend and then hope and pray they are ready to wake up and

Middle School

2011-08-18T10:19:00.009-05:00

My oldest child started middle school today. I'm not really sure how that happened because I swear that I was just dropping her off to her first day of kindergarten last year but yet here we are....wow. We've been anticipating this day all summer long (well she has been anticipating and I've had a mixture of anticipation and dread) but nonetheless the first day of 6th grade has been in constant

Friday Foto #7: It Rained!

2011-08-12T12:18:00.001-05:00

Liam playing in the rain gutter at my dad's house.

Cub Scout Day Camp....

2011-08-10T10:07:00.011-05:00

In our tiny little pack of two Cub Scouts I have the privlege of being the Cub Master....and the Wolf Den Leader....and the Webelo Den Leader...and the Rodeo Clown...and, and, and, and..... Because of the Tornado in Joplin the scout program in our district was in a little bit of a jumble for a little while because a lot of families were displaced. Knowing that the Cub Scouts really needed to

Friday Foto #6: Kansas City Temple

2011-08-05T11:45:00.000-05:00

My husband took this beautiful photo of the Kansas City Missouri LDS Temple. It's still under construction and should be done by spring of next year. We are so excited to finally get a temple close by. It'll be a little over 2 hours to drive there BUT that beats the 4 hours to Oklahoma City Temple...right?!

Friday Foto #5: Sunday Battles

2011-07-29T16:12:00.008-05:00

This is how Liam spent his time at church on Sunday crawling under the bench. He wasn't harming anyone so I decided to pick my battle and let him just lay there. Now I know I shouldn't have had my cell phone out at church....during sacrament meeting....BUT I kinda had to document it for myself so when I get old I don't forget and try and tell my daughters or daughter in laws that my kids were

3 weeks left...

2011-07-28T17:04:00.008-05:00

This week I've come to the realization that Summer is just slipping away from me...Just 3 weeks from today Ashlynne will enter middle school.Then, 3 weeks from tomorrow Brinton and Elise will return to Elementary school and begin their 5th and 3rd grade year and Julianna will enter the halls of her elementary school for the first time as a new kindergartner.Just 3 weeks left!We've accomplished so

10 months and walking....

2011-07-26T11:37:00.003-05:00

This little guy is 10 months old today! And he is walking!!This was taken last Wednesday at story time and since then he has really started to walk all over the house. He walks from room to room but he still falls down occasionally. I can't believe my baby is walking! He's just so little.

Friday Foto #4: Water Balloons

2011-07-22T17:30:00.004-05:00

Friday Afternoon100 degrees outsideWater Balloon Fight??Yes, Please!

I just pressed POST and I have no idea what I wrote....

2011-07-19T15:14:00.009-05:00

Do you know how hard it is to blog during the summer?And without a camera? (My 30th birthday is in a little less then 2 months if anyone wanted to buy me something....hint, hint) I rely completely and totally on the camera on my phone which has a tendency to take the world's crappiest pictures EVER, but hey it's more then most people in third world countries have, right?! Look at me...ever the

Friday Foto #3: Hiding Behind the Mask

2011-07-15T15:09:00.001-05:00

We LOVE story time!! Puppet shows, stories, friends, and crafts! This week the kids got to make their own African Masks!!Can you guess who is that hiding behind this Mask??

Our first "Why is it so quiet??" moment....

2011-07-12T12:24:00.005-05:00

We've had our first....Why is it so quiet moment.....Aidan got into some facial creme/make up remover in the bathroom cupboard, upstairs. Do you know how hard that stuff is to wash off? On the upside his skin is super smooth and smells so good. KIDS!

Friday Foto #2: Summer Walk

2011-07-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Taking a walk on a summer's day. Doesn't she look like she is straight out of the 1950's??

Festive Fourth of July...

2011-07-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

The girls and I made festive fruit kabobs...We all wore some festive outfits...And the we lit up the sky with our festive fireworks.Happy Birthday America!!

Friday Foto #1: Modeling

2011-07-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Ashlynne was playing photographer.Julianna was her little model.Not bad, I say, not bad.

Swimming with the Dolphins...

2011-06-30T17:07:00.000-05:00

The first week we were in Florida we spent at Grandma's house, the second week we spent in Orlando. We found this really wonderful package deal with Discovery Cove. Discovery Cove is an absolutely beautiful, all inclusive resort where the highlight of the day includes the opportunity to get in the water and actually swim with dolphins. Included in our package was unlimited 2 week entrance to

Grandma Lucy

2011-06-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

When I was little I spent summers in Puerto Rico with my sweet Grandma Lucy, my mothers mother. She is a beautiful, strong, independent woman and as a little girl I learned so much from her about how women can do anything. She had a large plot of land and I can remember traveling with her up into the hillsides of Puerto Rico and out to the "finca" where she had every fruit tree and plant you can

Leaving on a jet plane....

2011-06-28T22:55:00.000-05:00

Ashy and Brinton are off to Grandpa David & GrandMarie's in Utah for a couple of days, then to the Spotten Family reunion, and then to Grandma Colette's in Wyoming for the rest of the month!!! We'll see them again at the end of July just in time to do some back to school shopping and get ready for a new school year. Yikes! Where is my summer going?!?!?!

Tuesday Messages...

2011-06-28T09:00:00.003-05:00

Dear Jeremiah,I love our late night movie dates andcuddling with you on the couch long afterour children have gone to sleep. It seems that1am bedtime has become the new 10pm.Hooray for Summer!I love you.AlidaDear Ashlynne,Thank you for cleaning up the HUGE mess I madethis morning when I dropped that jar of baby foodin the kitchen. I only stepped away for a momentto put the baby down and when I

Been a tiny bit busy...

2011-06-15T15:34:00.006-05:00

In the last 3 weeks...*Ashlynne "graduated" from 5th grade (no more Elementary School!)*Brinton & Elise finished 4th & 2nd Grade*We drove two days through tornado weather to go to Florida(pulling over 3 separate times to wait out sirens, rain, wind...after Joplin we were just a little nervous...just a little) *We spent 5 days in Spring Hill, FL visiting my Grandma*We played on the beach*We had a

A big tornado hit Joplin, MO....(Part II)

2011-05-23T20:46:00.008-05:00

8:48 pm Monday Night about 27 hours since the tornado hit Joplin, MO.Jeremiah returned late last night and cried as he told me of the massive destruction he witnessed. Buildings turned to rubble, steel beams twisted and mangled, cars piled up 3, 4, 5 high as if someone picked them up and plopped them there. They went to the hospital first to see where they could offer their help. Unfortunately,

A big tornado hit Joplin, MO today....

2011-05-22T22:20:00.002-05:00

At around 4:30 I was awoken from my Sunday nap by tornado sirens. My husband was gone home teaching and the little boys were napping, the other kids were quietly playing downstairs. I picked up the baby and headed downstairs. The weather appeared mostly calm, and with the exception of that blaring tornado siren at the end of our street there didn't seem to be many signs of an impending tornado

My Genius Solution to Melting Popsicles...

2011-05-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

I LOVE POPSICLES! I hate the ooey, gooey, icky, sticky popsicle mess. So to combat the nastiness that is a melted popsicle I got a little creative and invented:The Amazing"Melting Popsicle, Dripping Collector, Thing-a-ma-jiggy" Okay, okay so it's really just a plastic cup that I cut in half, with a slit on the bottom to put the popsicle stick through....but isn't it GENIUS?! I had to pat myself

I Hate This Room...

2011-05-17T07:45:00.000-05:00

I hate my living room...it's so cold and blah and dead and ick and did I say BLAH?! Quick! Someone fix it for me! I need serious help because I just can't stand another minute of the blah blah blahsss that is my teeny tiny living room. I'll admit that these pictures were taken at 2:37am (because that is the ONLY time my living room ever looks this clean. lol.) I would've vacummed but I would've

All is well....

2011-05-16T21:56:00.005-05:00

Thank you for your prayers, thoughts and comments...Aidan's little surgery went well and he did awesome. He now gets to have tubes put in his ears next Monday so we'll go back under for that...Yay us! (can you sense the sarcasm??) Now some cute pics:All dressed up and waiting for the anesthesiologist and the urologist to come and visit before surgery...Being wheeled down the hall to surgery...I

Baby Steps and Prayer Requests...

2011-05-09T20:53:00.005-05:00

Hold on! Wait a minute! Stop that Aidan! I am NOT ready for my 7 month old baby boy to WALK! Here he is, just 2 1/2 weeks after he learned to crawl, pushing around a little play kitchen at our dr's office. He pushed it all around that room....walking like a pro. ACK! *sigh* My baby is growing up too fast. I was hoping to hold on to him for a little longer...you know, just in case he really

I just really miss my mom...

2011-05-04T15:08:00.005-05:00

Mother's day is fast approaching and I've been trying to make believe it's not breaking my heart that my mother is no longer here. Everywhere I turn there are signs, ads, flowers, and a constant reminder, DON'T FORGET TO TELL YOUR MOM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HER! I want to shout "I CAN'T TELL HER! SHE'S GONE!!" but that really wouldn't accomplish anything aside from a few weird glances and me running

Double Digits...

2011-05-04T11:00:00.001-05:00

On Monday my sweet boy Brinton turned 10 years old. Each one of my children's birthdays are special but with Brinton they are EXTRA SPECIAL...mostly because when he was younger I never felt certain he would see the next birthday.I just wanted to jot down a couple funny memories from this most special 10th birthday. 1. On Sunday night before his birthday he was up late completing his science

Talk of the Week Club....

2011-04-28T12:00:00.004-05:00

I'm writing over {here} today. <3 Alida

Sometimes it's just hard to get a good picture....

2011-04-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

After we came home from church on Easter Sunday I wanted to take some quick pictures of the kids. The 2 little ones, Liam & Aidan, had fallen asleep in the car so I figured I'd take pics of the older 4 now and the little one's later. It was rainy, windy and cold so I had to be FAST. The kids were in the silliest mood and were giggling and goofing off so much... Getting Closer...Finally a

Tuesday Messages...

2011-04-26T21:05:00.003-05:00

Jeremiah, even though your new calling is going to take up a lot of your time (which you are already short on) I want you to know I support you 100 million billion percent. Ashy thank you so much for helping out around the house last week when I was sick with a stomach bug and daddy was at school. I appreciate you making the kids corn dogs for dinner and keeping the baby happy so I could get

Happy 3rd Birthday Liam!

2011-04-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

Happiest Birthday Wishes to my darling boy! Yippee! You're 3!In honor of him todayYou can read his birth story here :)

I've been hiding something...

2011-04-20T21:40:00.002-05:00

Confession time....I've been hiding something lately. It's probably not what you think, actually I'm certain it's not what you think. You'll probably be shocked when you find out and quite frankly I can't believe I'm even telling you all this but it's time to tell the world. The truth is............I've been hiding Swiss Rolls in my cupboard!There I said it. I'm so ashamed. I'm not sure how

Tuesday Morning Messages...

2011-04-19T09:33:00.003-05:00

Dear JeremiahYou've been studying for school and you've been working so hard on a deadline for work.You stay up late, late nights and into the wee hours of the morning trying to get everything done. After all that you wake up early with the kids in the morning to get them ready for school before you head out to your class. If that isn't enough last night you came home and decided to make dinner

Happy Anniversary, 12 years

2011-04-18T18:30:00.002-05:00

Happy 12th Anniversary to my best friend,my eternal companion,the love of my lifeJeremiah.Thank you for making the last 12 years a spectacular adventure. It's with great excitement that I look forward to spending the rest of eternity with you. I wonder what craziness the future will bring? Whatever it is I'm sure we'll be HAPPY TOGETHER!

Things I was thinking while folding the laundry...

2011-04-15T12:26:00.004-05:00

1. I need to stop procrastinating my laundry. It really only makes it worse for me in the long run.2. Why does this have to be such a battle....laundry is so easy....what is wrong with me??3. Trying to fold laundry on the living floor with a newly crawling 6 month old in the house is extremely difficult. I should remember not to expect to keep anything folded or in neat piles. I also need to

Tuesday Messages...

2011-04-12T20:34:00.005-05:00

Jeremiah,Some days I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.Some days I feel like the world is caving in on me.Some days I just wish for our normal life back....Some days I just want to cry and cry and cry and cry.Thanks for being there to just listen to me.Some days that's all I need.Love,Ali***Ashy,Allstar Cheer tryouts were Saturday. You've been working so hard for over a month to land

Another MRI...

2011-04-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

So it's that time again...time for another routine MRI on his neck. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about you can catch up by reading this post from August last year. At Brinton's last appointment it seemed like his doctor's were leaning towards doing surgery some time this summer. BLECH! I'm still hoping that some miracle will occur and he will be healed and we'll all be stunned and have

Because EVERY ingredient is important....

2011-04-10T20:02:00.011-05:00

I think I have pretty good kids. They are very talented, they are good students, they are obedient, they actually like going to church, (although Liam isn't great at actually sitting down during sacrament meeting) and compared to the kids I see on Super Nanny, I think I've got pretty good control. But, let's be honest....sometimes my kids don't like each other. Sometimes they fight. Sometimes

The one about having more kids...

2011-04-04T13:15:00.003-05:00

Another dip into the questions you asked on my Bloggers Block Post.... Anonymous said... You have six kids, are you done or will you have more? March 10, 2011 2:36 PM Oh, the infamous MORE KID question. I wish Anonymous would've revealed themselves. Sad. This is a tough question for me and I've been doing a lot of soul searching about this one lately. I'm going try to be as open as I can and as

But I don't wanna....

2011-04-01T10:38:00.008-05:00

I don't wanna do the 4,783 loads of laundry that I've been ignoring all week.... I don't wanna clean up the blocks all over the floor for 3,298,101 time today (and it's only 10:30am) I don't wanna unload the dishwasher I don't wanna fix my bed I don't wanna vaccuum the floor I don't wanna play the potty training game I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna.......... Can anyone send me a

Tuesday Thursday Morning Afternoon Messages

2011-03-31T17:12:00.003-05:00

**So I've been kinda sick. Not really sure what it is. I totally missed writing Tuesday because I was at the hospital for 6 long hours with no results. Initially it was my gall bladder, then it was maybe kidney stones, now I have an elevated thyroid level....whatevs....I'm here now so let's roll.... Jeremiah, I want you to know how much I appreciate that you are a worthy priesthood holder.

Talk of the Week Club....

2011-03-25T12:09:00.001-05:00

I'm writing over here today. (Actually it was yesterday but it posted later in the day and I missed it. )Hungry?Need to be spiritually fed?Then you need to visit the Talk of the Week blog, where each week a new gospel talk is posted to uplift you and to help you learn and grow in the gospel. I've had the honor of writing for the Talk of the Week for the last two years, in fact if you read my bio

Random Picture Week: Day 4

2011-03-24T17:50:00.006-05:00

This picture was taken last summer at the St. Louis, MO Temple. It was an awesome trip because Jeremiah and I were able to attend the temple, which was located roughly 4 hours away from our home in Olathe, while the youth from our church watched our kids at a nearby chapel. When we were done we went to pick up our kids, changed our clothes, and then took them back over to the temple grounds for

Random Picture Week: Day 3

2011-03-23T19:28:00.007-05:00

In September 2009, I spent my 28th birthday with Jeremiah, Julianna and Liam in New Orleans, LA. Jeremiah was on a business trip for the week and so he took us along with him. The big kids were in school so they had to miss the trip. Jeremiah had to work everyday and could only spend evenings with us--so I was pretty much left to fend for myself and have fun in the Big Easy with my two kiddos.

Love and Logic...a trial spin

2011-03-23T14:00:00.000-05:00

We interrupt Random Picture Week to bring you....LOVE AND LOGIC: A Trial Spin.Sooooo, here's the story. I've always heard about the Love and Logic method of discipline and learning responsibility for children. I have family who are firm believer's in it, one of the school district's we were in used it in the classroom and I've always thought I should look into it. I tend to procrastinate and

Random Picture Week: Day 2

2011-03-22T21:47:00.004-05:00

At first I chose a completely different pic for today's Random Picture BUT...After dinner tonight Elise, age 8, my adorable free spirit of a child sat down at the computer to play for a few minutes. My kids really enjoy the PAINT program and are always "drawing" pictures in it. They are all quite creative and I love looking at what their little imagination come up with. Tonight, after sitting for

Tuesday Morning (afternoon) Messages...

2011-03-22T11:17:00.004-05:00

Every week I get closer and closer to actually posting these in the MORNING as the title suggests...lol!Dear Jeremiah,Having you travel for work over the last 2 years was very, very difficult. I missed you like crazy and I felt so alone. Having you home on the weekends was not enough. Some how I learned to do it on my own, I got my own routine and figured out how to make it all work. Admittedly,

Random Picture Week: Day 1

2011-03-21T20:15:00.008-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been super busy for me. I thought I was having blogger's block but I realize that LIFE was just getting in the way of my creativity! Blogging is a creative outlet for me and being so extremely busy every day was actually hindering my ability to write and all I could feel was exhaustion....creativity was no where to be found. Now that life has calmed back down I'm

Tuesday Morning (evening) Messages...

2011-03-15T22:34:00.006-05:00

Struggling to get back on the blogging horse...I seem to have fallen and I can't get up. So for now this week's Tuesday Morning Messages and I'll come back full force on Monday.dear jeremiahYou drive me nuts!But I love youYour eternal companion (If I can just get through today) alidadear ashlynneAaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! {{pulling my hair out}}Thank goodness I love you alwaysmommydear

Blogger's Block...

2011-03-10T08:05:00.005-06:00

I'm suffering a severe case of Blogger's block. I have no idea what to write about, no inspiration. It all seems dullllllll and boring and the same ole, same ole my life is crazy business. Blargh.So i decided to ask....What do YOU want me to write about? Anything, anything at all. Your wish is my command (within reason). Ask me a question, what do you want to know? Or give me a topic to write

Tuesday Morning Messages...

2011-03-08T07:52:00.003-06:00

MiahParenting is hard! I'm lucky to have you as my partner to help figure it all out...together.LoveMeDearest 11 year old AshlynneThe drama...oh the 5th grade drama...Girls are silly. Boys are silly. Don't Give into the Craziness.Don't forget it.Love-MadreBrintonYou are a great kid, I am proud of you. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.MommyEliseI know you are having a super hard time waking up