CHAOS

I have been neglecting my blog for a while now. Mainly because with the holidays upon us, there are so many more fun blogs to look at. :) However, a few friends have been posting at least one a day lately, so I figured it really wasn't that fair...

So what's new? Well.. the pregnancy is going great! I got a neck massage on the 20th of November and haven't had a headache since, EXCEPT the very next day (and 2 days before we left for Idaho) I felt a sinus cold coming on. So our entire vacation was a little miserable for me. And wouldn't you know, as soon as we got home, the sinus headaches stopped?! Funny how that works... Other than that, the only thing I really have to complain about is a sensitive gag reflex. With both of my previous pregnancies, I would wake up in the middle of the night, on average 1-3 times a night, and choke on my own spit, and then throw up. Stupid, huh? I haven't gotten sick from it yet; just wake up coughing. Last night was the first night I finally realized that I wasn't coughing from being sick... oh well. I'm about halfway done (almost) so I guess I can handle it for another 23 weeks, right? :/ My next appointment is Monday the 7th, and I am very excited, except for the fact that they're doing all my bloodwork. BUT, we are scheduling my ultrasound for about a week after and I couldn't be more excited!!! Maybe they'll let me schedule it next Friday for my birthday! Now, THAT would be fun! Cross your fingers for a girl!!! :)

Life at home has been pretty stressful. Car sales is a lot harder than it looks, and is completely a mind game it seems. Joe is just the guy for it, and has been getting sales, but each sale, for some reason, has been low profit. We just can't figure it out. The other day, we got a call from Joe's previous co-worker/friend Ben, saying that he knew a guy who worked in Richland and needed a drafter at his engineering firm. So he told him all about Joe, and they decided to meet up at the building on Wednesday and just go and meet the guy. It's a good thing Joe brought a change of clothes! It turned out to be an 1.5 hour interview!! Blessing? Uh yeah, I think so. The hours would be better, the pay better (and a for sure thing), and he'd be home at nights!! :) This opportunity just completely fell into our laps. We got another call yesterday saying that they want him to come on Monday for a second interview, and to meet all of the other managers in the building. Crazy, crazy, I tell ya. Not to complain, because I am SO SO SO grateful, but it's too bad it didn't happen like a couple weeks earlier. Oh well... better late than never, right? The Lord does provide!!!

Anyhow, I would post pictures of our Thanksgiving trip to Idaho, but my computer won't cooperate, so another time! Hope you all are having a great holiday season!!

BANG!!!

Sooo.... Yesterday, at 7:30 A.M., Connor was sitting on his knees on a bar stool because he "needed" something that was on the counter. I was at the sink and told him to get down. Amazingly enough, he listened! However, the stools are rather tall, and if he is laying on the stool seat, his feet don't quite reach the step. SO, he tried sliding all the way off, but his feet slid in front of the step instead of out, making him fall down onto his bottom. Because he fell, he pulled the stool right with him and BANG.. the edge of the seat hit him right on the mouth. Poor guy... he was really crying, but I was doing dishes and hadn't seen it happen. I wiped my hands and walked around to him, where he was still laying on the floor, picked him up, and as soon as I did, blood came gushing out everywhere! No exaggeration. I could see a small cut on the outside of his mouth, and his bottom lip swelled up immediately, so I knew that he'd probably bit his lip. Haylie was still in bed when it happened, but as soon as she heard Connor crying, she came bursting out of her room, and started freaking out because she'd seen the blood. I told her to go get dressed... called our neighbor (who was still asleep), and my mom, took Haylie to the neighbor's where my mom would pick her up later. I then threw (not literally) Connor in the car and off we went to the E.R. in pajamas and glasses, at 8 A.M. Luckily, I thought to put a bra on before we left... It's a good thing too, because we didn't get home until 1 P.M. :/

Connor bawled the whole way, and then harder when we got to the hospital. If you know my family, you know that we are buddies with the staff at KMC, as we spent the majority of last winter in the Emergency Room. He kept saying, "But I'm not sick though. I don't want to go to the doctor." Our nurse was so nice.. he got us right in, but of course Connor wanted nothing to do with anything in the room. We sweet talked him until the doctor came in, and after looking at his mouth, Dr. said he would need some stitches. He said we would only leave them in for 5 days, otherwise there would be very noticeable scarring. Unfortunately, Connor wasn't cooperating very well, so they decided to put him to sleep for the procedure. Let me tell ya', I advise all moms to LEAVE THE ROOM if ever you have to go through something like this. One second Connor was awake, and the next he was asleep, but his eyes stayed open the entire time, making his little body seem very lifeless. NOT something I hope to do EVER AGAIN!

After cleaning up his cut, the doctor noticed that the cut inside his mouth was a lot bigger than we thought, so 3 stitches on the outside and 5 on the inside were what we ended up with.Coming out of the anesthesia was a VERY slow process. That little guy just didn't want to wake up. Dr. moved his body around a little bit, and we talked to him about Popsicles and that seemed to help (surprise, surprise!).

He seems to be doing a little better, although he's still sore. He complained about his neck hurting when we got home, so I'm guessing it jarred him a bit when the chair landed on him. He also had a bit of a loose tooth, but the doctor said it would probably tighten back up. Other than that, he's a pretty tough little guy. Thank goodness children are so resilient! I think it freaked me out more than him...

Recipe for Quiet

1. A few chairs

2. A few blankets

3. Some "fish and those" (aka fish crackers and dried cranberries)

4. A LONG movie, such as Mary Poppins

What do you get?

Happy kids. And what do you get from that? A happy Mom.

It seems like with Joe working such crappy hours, no time off this past week, being pregnant (i.e. hormones galore, fatigue, more hormones, etc. etc.), our lives are just so jumbled. Things just feed off of each other. I've been having headaches which makes me grouchy, which makes my kids naughty, which makes me yell, which gives me headaches. Do you see how it's a never ending cycle?

Today, all of a sudden, I had a genius idea! Actually, we've done it before, but never has it sounded so appealing! We set up this little "tent" in the living room, put on Mary Poppins (which is a good 2 hours or more long, which means by the time it's done, it'll be lunch time and then nap time :), threw in some blankets and pillows and now I am sitting here in peace and quiet, feeling VERY headache free. :)

Necessities

Last night, I went in to check on Haylie before we went to bed, and I found her in our bed, sound asleep, with a naked Barbie and Joe's knife, clutched in her little hands. I mean, a girl's gotta have her stuff, right? Good thing we caught her before she rolled over or something... after looking closer, we noticed that the knife was out of it's sheath. :/

::Headaches::

When I was pregnant with Connor, I think about halfway through, I started getting headaches. Not like a little pain; severe pain where I wasn't able to function at all! I remember just laying on the couch trying to ease the pain with warm and cold washcloths, tons of acetaminophen, hot baths, etc. etc. You name it, I probably tried it. After about a week and a half of a constant headache, we met with my doctor. He had me go in for a CAT scan, which scared the living daylights out of me, but I went. Of course, everything was clear. Back to the Dr's. office I went! This time he prescribed me something (that I can't remember the name of). It worked TOO well. It definitely kicked the headache. It also made me feel like I was drunk. I know Joe thought it was pretty funny... I remember one night we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean at the dollar theater, and I fell asleep about 20 minutes into the movie. That stuff just knocked me out every time I took it! And of course, because of the effects, he only gave me like 10 pills. However, as soon as I would wake up in the morning, the headache would be back, 100%! I kept asking my doctor if he would prescribe me a massage to see if that would help, and he wouldn't do it. SO, I went by myself. My good friend had her license, so she gave me a massage on the base of my skull and all over my neck. I didn't have a headache for almost a month after that!!
SO, when I got pregnant with this one, I wondered if I would get them again. Yep. I've had one for about the last 4 days now. Today I called my nurse and told her the history, and she said, "Why don't you come in tomorrow?" So here I go! Hopefully they will prescribe me like a weekly massage or something. If it gets rid of my headaches, GREAT!!! Plus, it's always nice to get pampered...

Fresh Air

On Joe's day off last week, we took our dog Rusty to the river for a little walk and some retrieving practice. The kids were very excited for a day out with Daddy, especially Haylie, as she is our "outside child." Connor was having fun too, but he doesn't really like to get cold, especially his hands. He had also been a little under the weather last week, so we contemplated taking him. BUT, being cooped up in the house kind of got to me, so we bundled up and headed out. Once we got outside, we realized it was a pretty nice day. :)

This is at the Yakima River, just about a mile down the road from our house. I'm pretty sure Connor is in mid-blink here... kind of a funny picture. :D
Rusty, waiting for Joe to throw the dummy.
Haylie walking down the trail. We are always leaving Connor behind. Every time we go somewhere, inside or out, he has to stop and inspect every little speck of dirt or blade of grass. So, since we were out all by ourselves and I knew he couldn't get hurt, we just kept walking. I tried all sorts of, "Bye, Connor,"'s and "Let's go Connor!"'s but nothing worked. When we finally got back to the car, he was still standing in the same spot, so I sent Haylie after him and this is them running back.

::Our Halloween::

Joe had to work until 7 on Halloween, so the kids and I headed into Prosser to do some trick-or-treating with Kortnie and Alison. :) Then as soon as he got home, we headed back and did some trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. We have a great neighborhood... minus the fact that because we didn't hand out candy this year, someone egged our car. REAL NICE!

:: Cowboy Connor ::

:: Princess Haylie ::

(Which actually turned into a princess fairy when she insisted on wearing the wings)
I took this picture first, and Haylie wasn't being a good sport because of an upset tummy (before trick-or-treating...????) but she cheered up quickly after I told her, "Haylie. Don't smile." ;) What a trooper. She walked in those heels the entire night! Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!!! :D

Kids Say (and do) The Darndest Things!

Sooo.... I just am loving my kids these days. Connor has such a sweet personality (about 75% of the time) and Haylie is at an age where she "knows it all" and she is NOT afraid to tell anyone the way it's supposed to be! It seems like when it rains, it pours, with the crazy things they have been saying and doing the last few days. So, I have been writing them down because I just can't quit giggling when I think about them.

********

Let's start with Connor on the toilet.

Connor: Mom, can you come wipe me.
Me: (Enter bathroom) Phew Connor. That's stinky.
Connor: Yeah, it's a snake one. It will BITE you!
Me: (Pretend to be scared) OH NO!
Connor: There. I tootied on it. It won't bite you now. :)

How sweet, looking out for his momma. :)

********

Today, Connor wore a button up shirt with a sweater over it, to church. Right before sacrament, he got hot and wanted to take his sweater off. So, Joe took it off for him. Apparently he was still a little warm, because he started to unbutton his shirt.

Joe: Connor, what are you doing?
Connor: I'm hot. I want to take off my shirt.
Joe: Bud, you can't take off your shirt. Then you will be naked!
(Church goes dead silent as the sacrament is about to be blessed)
Connor: But, I don't have a weenie on my tummy!

Now, how smart is that? Of course it's ok to take off your shirt. He's not naked because no one can see his privates. Duh!?! Strip away, my son!

********

This evening, we were on our way home from a family dinner at my grandma's and Haylie decided Connor needed a lesson in table etiquette.

Haylie: Connor, we don't chew with our mouth open. It's very bad manners. Jesus Christ doesn't like it and Heavenly Father doesn't like it. And the Gospel will be so so so sad.
Connor: Yeah.
Haylie: Yeah, Jesus Christ will be so sad and Heavenly Father will just kick us out of town!
Connor: Yeah.

*SIGH*

Please tell me I am not the only one.

~STIR CRAZY~

Joe has worked the last 7 days straight, and it has SUCKED! Big time!! SO, finally, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and the kids and I drove down the road and went on a little hike with our new lab Rusty/Danner (we can't stop calling him Danner, so we're going to try and see if he'll start responding to that instead). It was great! Haylie got in trouble about what I would have called halfway through our hike, so it got cut short, but it was still so nice to get out and breathe! The weather is next to perfect right now for taking a walk, and I'm thinking that we need to start making this an every day thing. :) Miss Haylie showing off. :)
Showin' some brotherly/sisterly love!

Haylie showing me her impression of "running fast."

I guess we forgot to tuck those ears in his hood. :/

No camera??? :(

We had the most amazing day today! Joe had the day off, so we headed out to ride in the tractor with Papa. I even got in! Joe stood on the digger and my dad let us fill up a few boxes full of potatoes so I could can some. We all had a blast! Then, after we got out of the tractor, my dad said to go ahead and pick some apples (from the orchard next to their field). Shh... don't tell anyone. I don't know whose field it was.
THEN... we headed over to one of our favorite places to go- Country Mercantile- and had lunch! After lunch, we did what anyone would do in the month of October... We walked through the barn and pet all the farm animals, climbed the straw pyramid, walked through the straw bale maze, and rode on the hay wagon out to the pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins! We got three PERFECT pumpkins (since we went early and the patch has hardly been picked through). As I was going inside to pay for the pumpkins, I happened to look out the back door and what did I see??? A GIRAFFE. Yes. That's right. A baby giraffe.
SO.. what did I do? I sprinted (yes, that's right) out the door to find Joe and the kids, who of course were on the opposite side of the building. When I told them what I saw, they of course didn't believe me, so I just started walking towards the giraffe. As soon as we rounded the corner of the building, the owners were already putting the animals away (good thing I ran, huh?). So, I said in my most pathetic voice to the kids, "Ohhh nooo.. we missed it!" (It worked.) The owner told his wife to open up the trailer again so we could pet the giraffe. He was so sweet!!! 4 months old and already 6'5", and kept licking my fingers :). These people just had these animals as pets, and were on their way to Spokane, taking their "pets" home. As we were climbing down out of the trailer, the owner pulled out of his backpack, a big, bunchy, heavy blanket and said to Haylie, "Here, would you like to hold Barney?" She pulled back the blanket and showed us ONE of their pet baby kangaroos!! It was SO awesome! He was so sweet and SO soft!

AND I DIDN'T HAVE MY CAMERA!!!!! FOR ANY OF IT!

GRRRRR....

We have a secret...

...and I just learned that the secret was leaked... SO, before it spreads like wildfire, I guess I will announce it myself. :)

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, you guessed it! We're expecting! And we couldn't be more excited!!

I'm due May 15th, so right now I'm about 6.5 weeks along. I feel great, unless I need to eat. I've had to change my 3 meals to smaller meals about every 2.5-3 hours (which is probably healthier anyway), and I've been incredibly tired (no surprise there). My prenatal pills make me feel yucky, so I usually take it right before bed. Other than that, I feel great!

We can't wait for our little rosebud to get here!! :)

P.S. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRAY THAT WE WILL HAVE A GIRL!!!

SO FUNNY!

Well... at least to Joe and I...

Tonight Joe was laying motionless on the floor with his eyes closed, and Haylie said, "Oh no, Mom! Dad's dead! Quick! Call the antlers!"

HAHAHAHAHA....

Potatoe Harvest

I have a love-hate relationship with potatoe harvest. I hate it because I don't see my dad for about 2 months straight. BUT, I love it because the kids LOVE riding in the digger. It makes me feel so happy seeing the joy on their little faces, as they climb up into the tractor. Yesterday, I asked Connor, "Hey bud, want to go ride in the tractor with Papa?" He responded with a big "O" face, and, "But you can't come, Mom." Oh well... I'm pretty sure he still loves me.

Something I hope most Moms will get....

So a minute ago, I was putting lotion on Connor, as he was fresh out of the tub. I had him laying on his back, on my bed, and when I leaned over to rub lotion on his tummy, he kicked me right in the chest with both of his heels. I don't know why this little conversation made me laugh so hard. Maybe you wouldn't think the words coming out of his mouth, would match up with his body. He's so little, yet I'd say he has the vocabulary of a 4 year old (those of you who have been around him can vouch for me).

Me: Ouch Connor, that hurts. We don't kick.
Connor: But, I'm just playing (as he was saying this he had his eyebrows raised and was shaking his head, while sort of holding his hands up in the air... totally serious).
Me: I know, but it hurts me. Don't kick.
Connor: Mom, we don't say "but."
Me: Ok.
Connor: Mom, don't get the lotion in my eyes.
Me: Ok, Connor.

End of conversation. So random.

~For Jess~

Dear Jess,

This morning, my kids were yelling at each other. Nothing new, right? Well, in the middle of their little argument, Connor told Haylie, "And I don't love you!" I thought, 'Wow! I didn't think I'd get to apply Jess's experience to our own lives so soon!' After explaining to our kids about how yelling and hitting makes Heavenly Father sad and telling them that the Holy Spirit leaves our home when there is anger present, they both just looked up at me and said, "Oh." Here's how the rest of the conversation went:

Me:.....I love it when we show each other that we love them. It makes us feel safe and happy. When we are hitting and yelling at each other, it makes Heavenly Father very sad and then our home isn't happy anymore.

Haylie: Yeah.

Connor: Yeah, and the policeman will come and get us and get big blood on us and take us to jail.

Haylie: Yeah, they will take you to jail, Connor.

Me:..............

So Jess, thank you for your words of inspiration and enlightenment. I think I will have to keep this in mind, maybe in a couple of years. I guess my kids are a little young for this talk. Oh well.

Sincerely,
Cassi :)

Our New Business!!!

Soooo... I sort of forgot one IMPORTANT thing in my last post....

JOE AND I STARTED A NEW BUSINESS TOGETHER!!!

Minor detail, I know... ;) It's an online business, similar to Amazon. Basically, we have our own online store. Everyone should check it out... Go to:

http://smelltheroses.mychoices.biz

It's so awesome! There's tons of awesome products that are sold wholesale including drinks, snacks, skin care, vitamins, diet supplements, kitchen products, cleaning products, laundry detergent, eye care (including contacts!!), sporting goods, and much more. Basically anything you can thing of... PLUS, there's tons of partner stores like Barnes & Nobles, Bass Pro Shop, The Golf Warehouse, Baby Universe, Dick's Sporting Goods, Joann Fabrics, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Orvis, Petco, and many more. AND you can get hotels and car rentals at discount prices!

We would really be grateful if everyone would support us on this. If not by shopping at our store for your everyday things, then pass the word along to your friends!

Eventually we would like for this to be our main source of income, so we need our clientele built up. The more people we get to shop at our store, the better! We make money, and our clients save money! Also, if anyone is interested in starting their own store, let us know. We can help you get it started. :)

Thanks!!!

How long has it been?

Okay okay. It's time. Every day I sit down at the computer, click on "Dashboard," and see who's got some new dirt. :) After more than a month, I felt guilty enough and decided to contribute some of my own new dirt.

So... what's been happening in the life of me? Hmmm... a lot I guess. Or a little. Depends on which way you look at it.

The "a little has been going on" part comes in here: Joe got a HUGE pay cut (ha). We found out the middle of July, that starting August 1st, Joe was going to get an almost $4/hr pay cut. Nice warning, huh?! Really put a damper on our lives because we had planned on going to visit Joe's sister Rachel, who had had a new baby on July 21st. Also, Joe's brother Will was getting married July 31st. SO! We decided that we would go anyway and just prayed that everything would turn out okay. And it did. Well, at least so far.

Haylie turned 4!! while we were in Burley! Holy moly! Seriously corny and cliche, but how did that happen? I am freaking out at the thought of her going to Kindergarten next fall... totally not ready for that. I just had a meeting with some ladies here in town about the preschool we are going to run. There will be about 12 kids total, ages 2 to 4, and I'm sure I will later regret deciding to do this. So many things to keep me busy! This weekend is Haylie's birthday party at my mom's. We decided to have a pool party since she has taken to the water like a fish. Should be tons of fun! I will blog about her birthday after I get the pictures from that, as well as the pictures from the party we had in Idaho.

We decided that either one of us would need to get a 2nd job. Joe happened to mention the fact that we would need a 2nd job to one of his co-workers and just like that... he had a job. His co-worker's sister works at Tagaris Restaurant off of Queensgate Rd. and all Joe did was call her. SO simple and SUCH a blessing! Tonight is his first night working, bussing tables and running food. It's just minimum wage, plus tips, but we are hoping its enough to make up the difference of what we are losing.

Other than that, we are "hanging in there," whatever that might mean. Trying to stay positive. I'm grateful that Joe did the '8 days on, 6 days off' thing in the past... I'm hoping it makes this go a lot more smoothly. Apparently business slows down around October, so they will probably let him go and we will have to do the job hunting thing all over again. We are hoping to find a full time job that pays the bills, in between now and then so that Joe only has to work 1 job instead of 2. Not a happy thought of switching careers... we like to think of it as a detour. Survey work is just not happening right now, so doing something else, ANYTHING else, for a while until the economy picks back up, is okay with us.

Well... I'm off to watch a movie. Alone. :'( Hopefully Joe will be home soon. Hope everyone is having a great summer! Look out... before we know it, it will be Fall!!! :D

9 Things Women Say

I got this in an email from Joe today and just about died laughing. Of course, I NEVER do or say any of these things.... ;)

Nine Words Women Use

(1) "Fine.": This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) "Five Minutes.": If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) "Nothing.": This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) "Go Ahead.": This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) "Loud Sigh.": This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) "That's Okay.": This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) "Thanks.": A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says "Thanks a lot" - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say "you're welcome" ... that will bring on a "whatever").

(8) "Whatever.": Is a women's way of saying YOU JUST LOST!

(9) "Don't worry about it, I got it.": Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" For the woman's response refer to # 3.

* Send this to the men you know, to warn them about arguments they can avoid if they remember the terminology. *

Andy & Katie

Yesterday I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in my cousin Katie's wedding. She was SO beautiful... the wedding was beautiful... the reception was amazing... I couldn't imagine a more perfect wedding. There was no stress, no "bridezilla," no bad feelings at all. Andy, her husband, is awesome and is going to fit right in with the family. I know they will be so happy together!This is just after she put her dress on. Her bouquet was so beautiful... the florist added blueberries to it. GREAT idea!
Just before we left for the church.

Andy and Katie in the limo.

Waiting for the ceremony to start... Her feet were getting hot so us girls got some wet paper towels to cool them off. :)

Joe and my good friend Kortnie's little girl, Alison.

First dance.

Father/Daughter dance #2. Uncle Craig and Kate dancing to "My Maria" by Brooks & Dunn (Uncle Craig's favorite song :).

Father/Daughter dance #1, "I Hope You Dance," by Leann Womach

What an amazing day and weekend! I was up early, early yesterday morning - 5:AM to be exact. I rode out to the house with Kortnie (who did some of the girls' hair) and we started getting ready around 7:AM. Pictures were at 10... The limo showed up at 11:30... And then we headed off to the church around noon. The ceremony started at 2 and then we were back out to Aunt Teresa's house by about 5:PM I think. Dinner was great and then we just danced the night away! Literally! My mom watched Haylie and Connor for me (she's the best :) so Joe and I had a really fun date night! I think we got back to her house around 11:45ish... yikes! I don't really feel that old, but heck! I can't stay up that late anymore! I had a pounding headache this morning and have just been so exhausted all day long. BUT... way worth it!

Katie & Andy, thank you for asking me to be a party of your wedding. What an amazing day!Congratulations! I love you guys!

::06-21-09::

Today wouldn't be complete without a post about Father's Day. My grandma doesn't believe in digital cameras, so therefore all of the pictures I have of my Dad are hard copies. And, since I don't have a scanner... you get the idea. So, these are just a couple of pictures I had from last summer.

My dad is the greatest. Some of the fondest memories I have of him are at family functions, usually held at Grandma Sue's. She's infamous for taking pictures... has to capture ever moment on film, so you can imagine constant pictures get a little old. (Luckily, now that I am older, I can appreciate it a little bit more.) However - my dad was always the one to step in right behind Grandma and make all sorts of funny faces to get us to smile. No shame. The life of the party. The class clown. Always good for a laugh. I know him for his awkward goodbye's on the phone. Not til I was older did I realize how hysterical it is:

Me: Alright, Dad, I'll talk to ya later.

Dad: OK. Well.

Me: OK.

Dad: OK, yep. Well we'll talk to ya later.

Me: Alright. Love you.

Dad: Yep. Love you too. OK. Bye.

Me: Bye.

Dad: Bye.

(Ask Kelli or Corry if you don't believe me. They can give you the conversation, verbatim).

And every time we get off the phone, we all just crack up, because it's so predictable.

I love the way he lights up whenever we visit. Having kids takes our relationship to a whole new level. Just last weekend, we went out to visit him, and help him clean up around the house. As soon as we got there, he said, "Ooh. I think I might have some work to do." Next thing I knew, he, both kids, his dog, Oz, and our dog, Louis, were all piled in the tractor, and were driving up and down the road, mowing the weeds alongside it. It's so amazing to see my kids enjoying the things I did, as a child, with him, and I love that he loves to do it.

I feel so blessed to call him my dad. I love him so much and I don't know what I'd do without him. Happy Father's Day Dad.

Just some randoms...

Nothing new to brag about, really. We've been swimming a couple of times at my mom's house. This first picture is of Haylie, braving the waters, BY HERSELF, for the first time. She is fearless. It's a little sad... She's getting so big.For those of you who live in the valley, I'm sure you remember the big storm we had a couple of weeks ago. These are some pictures of lightning we took from our deck in the back yard. It was amazing! The bolts lit up the sky so much, that the street lights turned off a couple of times.

Some more pictures of the kids swimming at the pool on Uncle Leif's birthday.

Lucky for us, Connor fit into the same swimsuit he wore last summer. Oh well...

A few weeks ago, while I was at my cousin's bachelorette party, Joe took the kids to the park and then to the movie, "UP." This is just a cute picture of Haylie at the park, which, for some reason, makes her look very grown up.

100!!!

Here it comes!

100 facts about me that you just can't live without!

1. I am exactly 5'3 1/4" tall (or short).

2. When I was little, I played with bugs of all sorts, but somewhere along the way, I developed a fear of things such as bugs, insects, etc. crawling on my skin. I could literally throw up. Just ask Joe... I found a tick crawling on me this past weekend. SICK!

3. We're ready to have another baby, but I'm afraid of getting pregnant because I haven't lost all of my previous baby weight.

4. I'm very claustrophobic.

5. I married a man whose biggest fear is mice.

6. Every day, my biggest challenge is keeping clothes on Connor. Usually I lose.

7. The floors inside our house are ALL covered in fake wood and I HATE it.

8. I wish Heavenly Father would bless me with the love of running so that I could lose weight.

9. My favorite place to visit is the Oregon Coast.

10. I can't wait til Joe retires so that we can be together all day.

11. I'd love to visit every temple in the world before I die.

12. I'm petrified of dying.

13. Last week I realized that Haylie could start kindergarten next fall, and I started crying.

14. "New Moon" comes out on Joe's birthday, so we are planning going out that night. Sad, I know.

15. Steak Fajitas are my favorite food.

16. This summer, I will be a bridesmaid in my cousin Katie's wedding. It's going to be beautiful!

17. I LOVE going on Sunday drives. Joe and I used to do that every Sunday before we had Haylie and I miss it.

18. I love shopping but feel like I'm clueless when I go. I wish someone with great taste would do my shopping for me. I know what I like, but have no clue how to put stuff together.

19. I love cooking, but have the hardest time thinking of something to cook for dinner.

20. In the 9th grade, I brought cookies to one of the hottest senior football players, every game day, thinking that I was just being nice. It still haunts me to know that I was that "one annoying freshman who always flirted with upperclassman."

21. I get really awkward and weird around people I haven't seen in a long time because I'm so focused on making a good impression. I always say the wrong thing

22. I constantly worry about what other people are thinking about me. Even Joe.

23. I love being a mom, but sometimes I long to have a job outside of the home.

24. And then something happens that makes me realize that our home is where I belong.

25. I LOVE animals. Of all kinds. I'd love to work in a zoo or aquarium.

26. One of my favorite things to do is listen to Joe talk to his mom on the phone. The love he has for her is so strong and so awesome that you can hear it in his voice. Just makes me smile.

27. This one is kinda odd... I feel a very strong connection to a friend I have in Salem, OR, and I've never even met her face to face. I hope her family moves here soon!

28. I met and started dating Joe in Granite Bay, California, May, 2004.

29. He broke up with me August 13th, 2004. It was Friday the 13th.

30. He baptized me August 14th, 2004.

31. I went home to the Tri-Cities and he went home to Burley, Idaho August 15th, 2004.

32. Two weeks later, I went to visit him in Burley for 10 days, and the evening before I went home, he proposed.

33. A week and a half after that, I moved in with his family in Oakley, ID.

34. September 16th, 2004, we eloped. I am very happy, but I don't recommend it to anyone who's thinking of eloping.

35. Six weeks after that, I found out I was pregnant.

36. Joe and I had a rough first year.

37. On Haylie's 1st birthday, I found out I was pregnant with Connor. It was not a happy day for me, but now I don't know what I'd do without him.

38. I'm spoiled, and I know it. I try to fix it, but I fail.

39. I have a new love of hiking!

40. I love taking pictures and wish I had the means/equipment to get paid for it.

41. After all of our kids are in school, I'm planning on becoming a nurse.

42. Joe and I have a dream of owning our own ranch one day.

43. I'd rather live somewhere where I can't see or hear the freeway. In fact, if my closest neighbor was far enough away that they couldn't see in my windows, I'd be pretty content.

44. On the other hand, I like being 30 seconds away from the grocery store.

45. We are on our 2nd summer, in a row, of using our neighbor's lawn mower. Ours broke again.

46. Both my dad and Joe's dad have the middle name Earl.

47. I have a pet peeve about morning breath and would rather not kiss Joe before we brush our teeth.

48. I want to paint our bedroom, but don't know which color to paint it. Our bed and dressers are red, so we're thinking maybe a tannish/taupe color... what do you think?

49. I'm afraid of the dark.

50. I'm halfway done!

51. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't have one play date this summer due to the kids getting sick.

52. I can't believe I've been married for almost 5 years!

53. I can't stand people chewing with their mouth open. It's like nails on a chalkboard.

54. I love to wear dark colors like dark grey or black, but my mom says I look good in pastels.

55. I hate going to the dentist.

56. I'm starting to think I don't get out enough with people my own age and gender because when I talk to someone on the phone who I haven't talked to in a while, or see someone I haven't seen in a while, I tend to ramble.

57. I love doing laundry and folding it. I hate putting laundry away.

58. I love vacuuming. Ironic that I have all hard floors.

59. Both Joe and I don't mind the smell of skunk.

60. I showed sheep (sorry Katy) from age 9 to age 14 (6 years). I loved showing them and getting to participate in taking them to the livestock show. I would have continued showing, but we moved into town. I'd love to be able to get my kids into 4-H when they're of age.

61. I took piano lessons starting when I was 9 years old, but had to quit when I started middle school sports in the 7th grade. (My piano lessons were in Oregon.)

62. My mom permed my hair in the 2nd grade and when I went to school the next day, the library aide asked me if I stuck my finger in a light socket. Laugh all you want.

63. I went to 4-H camp for 3 summers. Katy Andrews was my counselor for one of those summers. :)

64. I had a Mini-Schnauzer named Mindy from age 7 to age 22. She even lived with Joe and I after I got married. She was the best dog I'll ever have.

65. Kelli, Corry (sister and brother), Katie, Curtis (cousins who lived next door) and I had forts in between the poplar trees that lined our road. We used gunny sacks for rugs and swept the floor (dirt) until it was packed down hard. Oh the life of country kids...

65. Joe would love to move somewhere in the Goldendale/Bickleton area.

66. I would love to live (at some point in our lives), if there is such a thing, somewhere in the country near the Salt Lake City area.

67. I secretly like boy bands.

68. I love it when Joe wears a hat. Something about it makes him that much more attractive... not sure why...

69. I'm bossy.

70. My first instinct is to yell, when my kids hit the wrong nerve. It's something that is next to impossible for me to overcome and I hate it.

71. I love the way Haylie has to have things "just so." Everything has its place and if it's off, you can bet she'll fix it.

72. I love the way Connor's mind works. He's is all boy. While most days he drives me crazy, and his mood swings are lethal, he is such a joy. Right now, he is out in the garage with Joe, screw driver in hand, banging on stuff, saying, "Just gotta' fixit."

73. My friend down the street is in labor as I type this. She and her husband are having their baby, drug free, at home with a midwife. I admire her so much and thought for a while that I should have a baby, epidural free, for the sake of knowing what the women in the generation before me went through. Now I'm not so sure...

74. I let what people say and do to me affect who I am. For example: A couple of weekends ago, I was at a birthday party. It was time to eat and Joe was tending to the kids so I thought I would be nice and make his plate for him. I made him a burger and put some chips and salad on his plate and when I set it down a woman there (remaining nameless) said, "Did you just make his plate for him?" Flustered, I said, "Yeah." She said, again, "You just served him his dinner?" Again, I said, "Yes." Then she just shook her head like 'obviously-she's-submissive-to-her-husband' and that was the end of it. What? I can't be kind? My mom put it this way: "It's the same thing as your husband going to start the car for you on a cold morning or bringing you your slippers." Couldn't have put it better myself.

75. I love nap times. :)

76. I love my Nana. She's one of my best friends.

77. I love my mom. Sounds obvious, I know. However, we weren't always that close. Since I have moved back to Washington, I have really enjoyed becoming closer to her. I really appreciate her and all she has done for me. I love being able to just jump in the car and drive the 15 minutes to her house. When we lived in Burley, we were 8 hours away. In Pasco, we were 45 minutes away- still just a little too far. Now it's great! So fun to go and do girl stuff with her. She truly is my best friend.

78. I just heard Haylie come out of her room. About to tell her to get back in bed for about the 6th time tonight.

79. I have lived in:

BEFORE MARRIED:

Paterson, WA

Prosser, WA

Walla Walla, WA

Lacey, WA

AFTER MARRIED:

Pasco, WA

Burley, ID

Oakley, ID

Woodbridge, VA

San Antonio, TX, and

Benton City, WA

80. "A League of Their Own" is one of my favorite movies.

81. I hate doing dishes.

82. I love "The Little House on The Prairie" books and t.v. show.

83. My favorite type of movie is a Romantic Comedy.

84. I'd like to get a kitten but Joe won't let me.

85. I LOVE the show, 'The Bachelor.'

86. I'm starting to think that there are only 85 interesting things about me, not 100.

87. OK, Joe just thought of a couple more for me: I LOVE the Fall and the Spring.

88. I LOVE PF Chang's.

89. I love to get dressed up to go out on a date with Joe, but then get embarrassed if people stare at me while I'm dressed up.

90. I love the way Joe looks at me, even when I've just woken up and my hair is every which way.

91. "You're a relatively fast typer," Joe says.

92. I hate it when the kids wake up early. Just ruins my day to look at the clock at see that it's only

9:30 a.m. when it feels like 2 p.m.

93. Joe's favorite food I make is banana bread.

94. I have the most amazing husband, I guess. He will rub my feet or massage my head whenever I ask. He's wonderful. :)

95. K, I'm really struggling. This'll have to do for this one.

96. I really miss Danner.

97. I just found Haylie asleep in my bed, completely covered from head to toe. Cold? Or hiding?

98. The other day I played volleyball in somebody's backyard, for the first time in almost 8 years and was completely shocked at how easily it all came back. I loved the feeling of the sting on my arms... I miss sports.

99. I love reading new posts from my blogging friends.

100. I'm really out of ideas here, so #100... I'm done! :)

99th Post

So, I think I've read on random blogs where people do something "special" for their 100th post. And seeing as how this is my 99th, I thought I'd ask for ideas... any at all would be appreciated. :)

FINALLY!!!

After waiting and waiting, it was finally warm enough, this last weekend, for the kids to run around in the sprinklers! And run around, they did! ALL DAY LONG! Haylie threw a big fit because we made her put on jammies for bed. :)

I'd forgotten how last summer, Haylie would NOT run through the sprinklers and was a little curious as to how it would go this year.

At first... not getting too close to the water...
Then they decided to brave it together.

Each time they ran by, they got closer and closer...

Notice how Haylie is "helping" Connor... yet he is closest to the water...

"...eh, whatever!"

This was more Connor's style. Sprinkler under the trampoline means no direct hits!

Bribed & Tortured

(just kidding)