Theres no place like home

check out my cute kids :0)

2012-01-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

I'm not bragging or anything...ok maybe I am :)

January Joys :)

2012-01-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

Usually about this time of year I am really hating the cold, moving a bit slower than usual, and just itching to be somewhere else....but i am not! Still hanging onto that Christmas Joy! Maybe because of our family's new years resolution to be outside more. We just discovered the Utah Museum of Natural History...who knew Utah had such cool history? Dinosaur bones and native Americans? sweet! I am all about learning these days. Since we have transformed our lives into learning all day every day(A.K.A. home school), i have come to believe that you are never too old to get excited about DINOSAUR BONES or reading about mummies in Ancient Egypt. i love learning!!

Here are a few pictures of us lately: We spent Christmas in Hawaii with the Crosby Clan!

Luke can swim now!!!

We wish you all a happy new year! We hope you are having a great winter too!

Joy

2011-12-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.
-Buddha

Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.
-Mohandas Gandhi

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.
-Mother Teresa

Things won are done, joy's soul lies in the doing.
-William Shakespeare

I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy.
-C. S. Lewis

We were created in the image of God, or father. We are amazing, beautiful creations. We have the potential, among other very plentiful gifts from heaven that we receive, to feel greatest JOY. We are surrounded by so many witnesses of God's love for us. If we could just focus each day on at least one thing we are grateful for, and treat those things with the reverence and love they deserve, then we cannot help but have an over spilling amount of joy in our lives.

And when moments like this happen...

It's ok, because we have so many other things in our life that bring us joy, that make it possible for us trudge through our trials.

This Christmas may you remember your Savior, Jesus Christ. May your season be over-filled with Joy, that you may have joy to last you through 2012. I hope we can all be an example of JOY to those who cannot start their own spark. I love you all :0) MERRY CHRISTMAS!

:0)

2011-09-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

I watched my sisters kids a few weeks ago...

i ran downstairs to switch a load of laundry and one of the kids knocked the baby gate down while i was gone. i came back JUST in time to stop them from rolling down the stairs!

Mabel gave Bronwyn a lesson in holding your own bottle...or was she trying to steal it from her?

my baby is getting too big!

Lincoln had his first shaving lesson:

have to share this

2011-09-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

We are studying Pablo Picasso right now in school, and I just had to post these for posterity's sake. These are the kids' impressions of two of his paintings:

food for followers

2011-09-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

yes, im here, we are all alive and well...we are attempting to homeschool, fix our flooded basement, and keep up with 3 active kids, but not really keeping up on things like mowing the lawn (thanks to Chad who mowed it last week!), putting laundry away, and combing our hair :P but here is a cute video of annie singing her new favorite tune to belt whilst on the toilet (yes, they really do that...every time!)

beautiful baby :0)

2011-05-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

Believe in America

2011-04-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

sneak peak

2011-04-12T06:22:00.001-07:00

Mabel was blessed in march, and i kept forgetting to take pictures of her in her blessing dress. so my dear sweet sister Krystyna offered to do it for me! Here are some of the pictures that are ready for show...

(this is her to a "T"...always spitting up!)

One day...

2011-03-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

There's no place like home

2011-03-04T07:37:00.001-08:00

we really like it here :0)

I guess this is what happens when you have three kids and you realize that keeping up with the blog is not the most important thing in the world, post

2011-03-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

here are a few of our latelies...

luke has turned 5!

Mabel is now giggling, my ultimate favorite.(actually sleeping through the night would definitely top this, but i will take what i can get for now)

we built shelves in the storage room.

why is it that we have never taken our kids to that germ infested white trash building where you stick your fingers into nasty holes and throw really heavy balls to try to knock down pins? well...now we have. and we all got sick week later. :0)

we are all settled into our new home.

we bought a minivan, and a ps3, hah. (that is a post for another day...)

aiya!

2011-02-17T23:03:00.000-08:00

Luke's birthday present from Dama and Boppers was 2 karate lessons, board breaking, white belt, and uniform. He is now "Aiya"-ing all over the house, and he keeps his broken board in a very special place on his shelf. :0)

Mabel Koren

2010-12-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

Want to hear a funny story?

So it was the day before thanksgiving...I called my mom and asked my mom if it was a good day to have a baby, and she laughed and said sure! I went out and got a HUGE diet coke and went home to clean house, and finish up a few last minute baby things like organizing her room, packing the hospital bag and such. At about 10 i started having contractions, that only lasted until about 12, then stopped. An hour later they came back, but STRONGER. i was still working through them, however. i had a little piece of paper that i was writing down the times of my contractions. i didn't realize until about an hour into my recording that i actually made time to look at the paper i was recording on that for the last 2 hours my contractions were growing closer and closer together, 2 minutes apart now. so i called my midwife and asked what to do, for this was of going into labor was new to me, i usually POP first. she said to come into the office and she would check me. i got to the doctor at about 4:30 in the evening, and I was dilated to a 4+ so she told me to head to the hospital and she would meet me there. We went back home and grabbed our essential oils, the overnight bag, and settled the kids in with Uncle Chad, then were back at the hospital by about 5 or 5:15. She offered to break my water, and i accepted. Chet left to grab the camera out of the car, and i about killed him when he came back because i had progressed so quickly. my contractions became so strong, so fast. I was planning on delivering natural but those contractions were far worse than i had ever felt, so i asked for an epidural. I knew i could not last more than a couple of hours with that kind of pain. I got the shot, then they tried to lay me back down. I asked as politely if they could to let me stay sitting up because i was having a contraction, a bad one. Little did i know...the one that Mabel would be born with. I resisted as they laid me down, screaming. my mom walked in just then. "She is coming out!" i screamed, "RIGHT NOW!". the midwife calmly said that she would check to see where she is and exclaimed, "oh yes! here she comes!" the anesthesiologist was still in the room when my baby was born! so much for that epidural...it kicked in abuot 10 minutes after she was born. She was born at 6pm on the dot. this having babies thing is for me, for sure. if anyone needs a surrogate, count me in!

Life as we know it...

2010-12-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

IS GREAT. Having Mabel has been a life-changing experience, for all of us. She is such a sweet little lady! I have always been a GO GO GO type of person, never really slowing enough to breath until i pass out at night. Now i sit and nurse for hours, of course. We get to read a lot more, me and the kids, which they love. I dont much care if my bed gets made, or if the laundry is put away immediately. I dont even really stress about dinner. It all happens, though. i just dont worry about it anymore. It happens when it happens, and we are all a little happier and MUCH less stressed. Thank you Mabel baby, for bringing this sirenity back into our lives. It really is possible to have a calm, peaceful home (almost) all the time with kids, i just forgot it was possible. :0)

In other news, we finally found a house. We moved in about a week before Mabel was born. I am glad, because all i want to do now is stay home, which gives me a lot of time to put things in their rightful places. (between loads of laundry and dish cycles of course) I will be sure to put up some pictures of the home soon.

Welcome Mabel

2010-11-25T11:51:00.001-08:00

Good Golly Miss Molly

2010-11-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Meet Molly:

What would a new home be without a dog to go with it? We drove to Price to pick up our new little lady yesterday. She is staying with Dama (THANK YOU!) until we move in this week. She is already so loved. Luke cried on the way back from dropping her off at my mom's. He really wanted her to come with us.

cross my legs :0)

2010-10-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

what is is with babies wanting to come early this year? Thank you April, Emily, Misha, and Krystyna for starting this trend in the Davies family this year!!! 5 out of 5 babies born early. On Wednesday I almost made that 6. I woke up early and surprised to have cramping, that quickly turned into hard contractions. It only took them about 7 hours to get them to stop and send me back home. Before the lady gave me the first shot i asked her if she could just NOT and let me have the baby...would you be opposed? she said, "oh no, we dont deliver here until you are 34 weeks"(which i was about 12 hours later) POP, PUCH, STING. oh well, i guess it wasn't my day. . but it sure did get my hopes up for a few hours there. I guess it is better this way. We close on our house on Wednesday, and there are still a million things to be done before then. All of which would be very hard whilst sitting in my hospital bed.

oh mabel, remarkable mabel... your time will soon come. you can wait your tiny little rump just a few more days.

big kid blues

2010-10-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to write on this adventure for fear of jinxing our progress. i feel we are in the safe zone far enough now to say that ANNIE IS POTTY TRAINED. hallelujah...i WILL NOT have 2 in diapers. no sir, not me.

(singing on the toilet in her favorite bumblebee/pretty dancer number)

There are a couple exceptions to this training, however. Whenever we go to my moms house, she almost ALWAYS has an accident. Also, we are in house hunting mode. She often poops her pants while checking out the closet hiding spaces. I usually take this as a bad omen, and do not consider the house (it has always been the case-maybe coincidence so far...we shall see).

so, if annie is in your midst and she tells you that her 'tummy hurts'...you better run her to the toilet. This is apparently her body's tell sign of somethin a comin! (TMI? maybe...sorry.)

SHADE SALE!

2010-10-02T07:23:00.001-07:00

be there, i promise you it wont get better than this!

busy bee

2010-09-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest project! for my birthday, i bought myself a staple/nail gun. exciting, huh?

BEFORE

AND NOW:

Also, for my birthday, Annie and I went out to breakfast. Luke would have been there, but he was having a sleep over at Nana's house!

her favorite part of the meal was the jam...love that look she gave me!

A few days later we had a baby shower for Alma! (due in 3 days?) never seen such a tiny lady with such a huge belly! she is so adorable!

the new kid on the block

2010-09-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

This post goes out to Kayia, we love having her here from Hawaii so much. We would much rather have you be happy living in paradise, but we are selfish enough to want you to stay here with us :0)

Have you ever...

2010-09-08T10:04:00.001-07:00

been EXCITED to do your laundry? I AM!

(this is the reason...newest addition to the Crosby family. we are contemplating naming her)

Hubby said to me this morning. "we don't ever have any dirty laundry in the hamper anymore, you keep washing it so fast." i sure hope he isn't complaining...

We seriously stood in the doorway of the laundry room the first 20 minutes of the cycle just watching it spinning. you can't even hear it.

after the first load came out, i saw how clean everything was so i quickly gathered all the (already "clean") towels and sheets and ran them through for a REAL clean.

Guess what I am doing today...

2010-09-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Putting in an offer on our first home :0).

Family Photo Shoot

2010-08-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Alicia Spalding Photography took our family pictures this past Saturday! It was a blast :0) There were way too many good ones to share, so here are my favorites!

I am 25 weeks now!

What do you think?

on my mind

2010-08-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

What kind of girl am I? These days I feel more like a spit wad than a feminine beauty attracting my man, but i am a girl none the less.

I was peed on in the middle of church last week. i think that may have been the first of that magnitude for me. i mean, my skirt, my shirt, all down my leg, puddled into my shoes. i may as well have peed my own pants. before i was aware of my situation, i was in fact thinking of pee. i was thinking, (we were in the middle of the closing prayer) as soon as he says amen i would rush her to the lou, and i will be so proud of her, then hand her off to others who would no doubt be peed on. i would put a diaper on her for sure. but then i felt it .wet and warm, CRAP. good thing i brought that blanket, and those wipes. "Chet...lets get out of here"... "AMEN."

this was my belly about 5 weeks ago. only posting for posterity's sake. i need to take a new picture i guess.

what's in a name...

2010-08-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

we have so many babies being born in our family this year...i figured i had better set some dibs on my name, right?

MABEL

IS MINE!!!

so there.

for your viewing pleasure...

She looks exactly like my other kids ultrasound. same profile i mean. im sure she will look quite different in her own Mabel way.

MOMS say the darndist things

2010-08-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

this is another thing i want to record, before the time has passed and i can no longer remember what it was like to have toddlers preschoolers and babies.

these are some of the things that have come out of my mouth the last few days:

PLEASE do not lick your brother.

diarrhea is not a good dinner conversation.

We NEVER sit on peoples heads.

When someone screams, "NOOO STOP!!" is means STOP!

We dont eat poo. (why did i even have to say that?)

You need to wear clothes when you are outside.

We dont ask strangers about what kind of private parts they have.

We also dont tell strangers that they have babies in their tummies...this is most often not the case.

Please dont put toothpaste in your oatmeal.

I am at a loss for words just now, but im sure there were many more. i will have to keep a journal of these things. I love my kids so much!

THIS JUST IN....

2010-08-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

I had to write this down, before i forgot all the words...

Luke built a Lego ship. it has two blocks in the front, one black and one green.... "The black one shoots out messy black poison. The green one shoots out costacoises. You have to jump over the flowers at the back of the ship so the costacoises dont ruin you. You have to yell 'LOOUVIE' to open the flowers, but they wont open. So then you will just die, sorry. oh, and the poison darts are after us."

some food for thought. have a grand day :0)

Dear Diary: im hot

2010-07-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

really really hot. you thought i meant attractive, HAH. im 5 months pregnant people! I guess it would be worse if i were 9 months pregnant in the middle of july.

I finally couldn't stand it. i grabbed the kids and went to the car, which was on fire. we had to put up towels in the window, start the AC, and come back in 15 minutes to even be able to touch our seat belts without getting burned.

Then we headed to Costco. I usually have a list...

NOT TODAY.

going to costco without a list is very dangerous.

I actually didn't need anything from Costco. why did we go, then, you ask?

Costco has AC. their produce section was heaven. :0). little man asked if we could just stay in there all day and eat popsicles. i would have said yes, but it was nearly 5 and i had not yet given dinner a thought, because it usually involves the oven...

so we ate samples, and bought nothing. i don't think i have ever bought NOTHING at Costco. I felt like a criminal leaving there, so i bought a hot dog. :0) actually, i really wanted one. they sampled corn dogs and my babes would not let me have a bite, so i had to have something of the sort. oh, those corn dogs smelled good. I'm sure they were gross. but i almost bought a box of 50 because they smelled so good.

Chet asked last night if i wanted some candy. "no way", i replied. "my pants were so tight today. i think i have gained 15 lbs already." i didn't know really how much i had gained, because the scale scares me on a regular day, not to mention a pregnant one. i faced my fears. 5 lbs... WHAT? got off, got back on. 5 lbs... i still do not believe it, but i celebrated by buying myself a Symphony bar today. :0) even if i eat the whole thing, i think i am good. i ate a whole watermelon today. tomorrow it may be another.

lake pizzowell

2010-06-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

i was in desperate need of a couple of days in the sun. we missed our kids dearly...who am i kidding? we had a blast :0). A very special thanks to mom & dad c for making this trip possible.

making things beautiful...

2010-06-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

besides making a beautiful baby girl, i have been sprucing up some old things as well. Here is a dresser from DI that was not my taste at all...

and these were the drawer pulls

le finished product :0)

my room smells a bit like paint, but i love my new dresser. thanks to Chet for helping me drill everything back together when i was done painting. i was pulling my hair out trying to do it!

only one...

2010-06-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

15 weeks

2010-06-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

here is a lady who is 15 weeks pregnant:

here is a lady who is 15 weeks pregnant with twins:

and this is me today:

still think i am having twins?

a breakfast for champions

2010-06-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

I woke up 3 hours ago...i have just been moseying around the house, doing laundry, mending a pocket on a pair of jeans, doing everything but what i really want to do...eat breakfast. But i kept talking myself out of it because the only thing i wanted to eat was lunch food. I dont know why i let it bother me so much. I just kept saying. "you can make it until noon. you cant eat that for breakfast" well at about 9 30 i thought,WHY NOT? so i gave in and made myself a turkey wrap with every kind of vegetable in the fridge and loads of mustard. it could be worse. i could want Tiramisu, or devils food chocolate cake for breakfast. i guess if i am going to have a craving...this is the one to have :0)

in other news: i was given a pretty sad looking lace skirt by my mom, who had high hopes that i could make it into something wonderful. was she right?

what do our kids REALLY learn in nursery?

2010-06-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Annie has been running around singing this little rhyme. i cant think of where it came from. it does not sound like any of the books i have read her. It must be some thing Dr. Seus. if you know annie you would know that she is a very good talker and you can understand everything she says. sometimes she catches people off guard because they dont expect her to talk so well and use the words that she does. so, with out further adoooo...miss annie evans:

translation: ( i really have no idea what she is saying)

the cat, the cat
sassy and fat
dont like the cow
just like that!

this has had me in stitches the last few days. my real reason for posting is...i need your help! have you heard of a book or a song that sounds at least similar to what she is saying? i have to know...

feeling groovy

2010-06-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling so great these days...look what I made!

my lovely little model :0) more summer attire to come. it has all been cut out and laying in my to do basket for way too long.

MY vacation

2010-06-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

yes its true, i went on vacation BY MY SELF. how did i manage that, you ask? well, first you have to have a wonderful husband. It helps, too, if you have a couple of kids, and you are pregnant(therefore in need of a break). Then you need to be really really really sick. Then wait until you are so weak, that you find it impossible to wash the dishes, do the laundry, or heaven forbid, shower or wear make-up. Then to get your ticket to freedom, all you need to do is call your doctor and tell him that you have lost another 5 pounds, and that you medicine made for kemo patients is no longer working for you. THEN, you get to take a trip, all by your self, with NO kids, to the hospital for your very own cocktail hour. They let you drink 2 L of Saline. Heck, they will take it one step further and make it so you dont have to even lift a finger to drink it! They just stick it right into your arm! This was my yesterday...
it worked quite well, actually. I feel so much better today. My medicine is working again, my kitchen is clean, and i actually went to the grocery store today and made dinner. Thanks to my wonderful family helping me through this. I owe you guys big time.
p.s. - if i decide to not have any more kids, PLEASE dont blame me. :0)

swagger wagon

2010-05-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

i SWEAR that i will never drive a mini van...

but that one looks pretty nice...

and spacious...

and easy to get your kids in and out of...

oh dear, did i just convert to the sienna?

Only time will tell. we are in the process of searching for the perfect car for our growing family. you see, they make sedans JUST small enough that you cannot fit a 3rd car seat in the back. or is it that they make car seats so dag blame HUGE. I hope none of you make fun of me if i end up in a swagger wagon.

get in my belly

2010-05-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

this is my silly belly...that thinks i am 4 or 5 months pregnant... 9 1/2 weeks and counting!

to my very favorite baby:

2010-04-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

i bet you didn't expect to wake up this morning to snow! The magical age of 26 - never before have you had snow on your birthday. Good thing you like snow, cause this is a cool birthday present! I woke you up a little too early this morning, SORRY! I knew you were up late, and would probaby want to sleep in this morning, but i just couldnt wait for your birthday to start...becasue I know you will have an awesome day. and it makes me SO HAPPY when you have awesome days. No matter what we do today, it will be great. even if we stay inside in our pajamas all day, which is quite likely looking at the above picture (taken just this morning). Celebrating YOU is my absolute favorite thing in the world! I love making you smile, showering you with gifts, trucking out in the snow, waiting behind a club wagon with 12 kids in it to get your favorite breakfast sandwich, rubbing your shoulders, going scale shopping, and doing ANYTHING ELSE that makes you have the best birthday ever, every year. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY, i love you more than anything. you do so much for me. so kick back and have an awesome day.

speaking of my babies...

2010-04-19T10:01:00.001-07:00

woah woah woah, have i got some news for you guys! I figured since I am feeling SUPER sick, and definitely showing, it would be safe to say that I am expecting out 3rd bebe! only about 7 weeks along, my belly thinks i am 16 weeks, sadly. I actually don't mind a bit. I'm feeling rotten, i may as well have a little belly to prove it! Due in december...i'll keep you posted! (this is the last, so pray for twins!)

oh where oh where have my little babies gone?

2010-04-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

Luke: age 2

hahaha. i love this picture! This is him in preschool, fall of 2008. wow, now my "baby" is that age!
We just got luke a new bed. a BIG bed, and he is so excited. He is such a sweet boy, always caring for others, especially for Annie. Lukes favorite thing right now is weapons and legos. I'm sure you know...that ANYTHING can become a weapon. even a twirling ribbon becomes a rope to tie up the bad guys up and take them to jail!
He hates to eat, and loves to be outside. The other day i was looking for him, in a bit of a panic, and found him trying to take his nap out on the lawn! His favorite person is Dad. He asks me all the time, "does dad do (something)"? he has to check with me before doing some things, just to make sure dad does it the same way. We love you Luke!

Annie: few days old

There was once a time when Annie Evans Davies Crosby would just lay there...I know that is true because i have this and other pictures to prove it, but i still dont remember! Annie is so full of life! We just moved her into a toddler bed yesterday. She is both extremely excited and scared out of her mind. She came out of her room after 'a long sleep' and saw the light on in the office, so started knocking at the door. "daddy! im awake! DADDYYYY!!!!!" that was 12:30 am...
The other day she was routinely going through Luke's preschool bag, making comments on each piece of artwork as they emerged from the bag. "oh my word!" and "Oh Luke! You have paint!" and "good job Luke, you used stickers on there!" Oh how I wish i got that on camera.
She also loves to sing, but seems to sing to ONLY ONE TUNE. old mcdonald, i am a child of god, eenie meenie miney mo, etc. are all sung to the tune of "twinkle twinkle". Shes got a great voice though, keep on singin' girl, we love it! We love you Annie!

the suspense is killing you...right?

2010-03-22T12:55:00.001-07:00

wow, life comes at ya quick. I have been to busy to post, apparently. i have even been to busy to stop and realize that i am busy. Chet and I are both in school, not so much loving it this semester, except for my sign language class of course. I dont know whether that is becasue the winter draws a lot out of you, or we are just not used to juggling kids and school like this. its hard work, i tell ya. But I am finally starting to see some progress on paper! I am more than 50% finished with my degree! thats not so far you say? SHUTUP. hehe.
We had a fantastic christmas, new year, and trip to hawaii (just the two of us) in January. And this is SOOOO the baby booming year of our family! the Crosby side is growing by 50% (wish i could help to up that number, but im afraid to slow down this train im on!) and the Davies family now has 5 on the way all expected to be here by the end of October. There is even a set of twins in that mix! my po mama, she going to be BUSY. maybe we can get together and have pity parties about how busy we are...but that probably not going to happen, on account of us being busy and all. haha, its really not that bad. i guess im just in a silly mood! BUT REALLY, i am SOOOO excited for all of my sisters cooking up those bebes! ( sorry to those of you feeling a little sick right now, love you!)
I've really been putting off my homework long long enough, but i just wanted to jot down a bit of what life is like in this season!

p.s.- raise you hand if you are excited for summer!!!! oooh oooh pick me! pick me! the sun is shining today...what a good day :0).

p.s.s. I'm really in love with my hubby.

this is on White Plains beach. we really liked it, tons of sea glass. except for the HUGE rocks making it totally unable to swim. (later we found out that we were not really on white plains, but oh well, haha)

eating Thai food in Hawaii

looking for whales...we actually saw some!

on our sad sad flight home from Hawaii. we look a bit more well rested and tanned than when we left utah!

who needs friends when you have family?

2010-01-05T21:26:00.001-08:00

luke, annie, and I just cant wait until daddy comes home every night. HE IS SO MUCH FUN! Luke and annie are mostly grumpy by the the time dinner rolls around, but as soon as Chet walks in the door their hyper drive turns on and they go crazy! here is your proof...

just minutes before dad arrived home:

then POOF! bad moods disapear!

we love you so much Chet...what would we ever do without our spoonful of sugar?

check out this video of the boys arm wrestling:

tumblun' rumblin'

2009-12-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

luke loves to balance, jump, climb, pull himself up, throw himself down, flop, stretch, and pretty much anything else that sounds tricky. Here is our tricky Luke showing off for the camera.

no, hold it.

2009-12-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

Silly Annie. She always carries her treats around until they are totally gross and goooey. She does it with her vitamins too. i cant wait until she actually cares if her clothes are stained or not...cause im tired of scrubbing.

money smart

2009-12-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

YES, we did it!

It wasn't all that bad. and now...about a month later, we feel like life is so much simpler.

3 NE 13:20-21 "..lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

family photo shoot(s)

2009-11-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

we have tried to get a few good ones. It has been so long since we have taken pictures! I didnt like many of myself, but maybe im just being too picky! I say third times a charm, so you may see another set of pictures soon. ;0)

ME & U

2009-11-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

we went on a date...and I HAVE PROOF! it was a few weeks ago,just before it got too cold we went up the mountains walked around a bit, made dinner and just hung out. it was one of the best dates i have ever been on.

here's your proof...empty car seats :0).

i really liked how this picture turned out.what do you think?

barefoot in October.

hes so handsome, no?

I dont know why we dont go into the mountains more. we really should. Its only a few minutes away and I always come back counting my blessings. :0)

water days-summer KATchUP

2009-09-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

here are some cute summer pictures of my beauties having fun in the water...

ill show you mine if you show me yours, hehe

i love how this picture turned out, it is so different. what do you think?

Lake powell getaway vacay

2009-09-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

one of my bestest pals Jackie invited our family with them to Lake Powell this summer...something I havent done since high school!! We had such a great time wake surfing, longboarding, jet skiing, fishing, walking on the beach, boating, swimming, and just hanging out with friends. We were sad to come home from all that warmth and sun!

she was floating way out there by herself, hehe

surfing lesons start young, we take them seriously.

the week was almost over, we were in need of a showa! but best buds none the less...

nice view ;0)

above: luke's little gf "Malina"

we were both a little sea sick...can you tell?

annie just couldnt get enough of the jet ski!

chet got up his first try i think, he pretty much rocks.

EXTRA EXTRA!

2009-08-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

What can i say, I've been busy? Since my summer job came to an end, I have been doing some soul searching, lost 20 lbs, and registered for school, WOAH...slow down woman!
I'm going to post from a few fun fam activities that we have had this summer. I'll start with this one:

my friend Jackie from high school and her hubby and baby came over to the crosbys house to grill some Independence day lunch.

he looks a bit like Edward, no?

I was following her with the camera laughing so hard. I'm guessing this is why regular diapers are not allowed in public pools?(we were out of swim diapers)

This is Chris. Luke would rather play with grown men than a kids his age. i think that has something to do with his dad being WAY more fun than a 3 year old. plus kids your own age aren't strong enough to lift you up and throw you...I'm beginning to see where he's coming from.

"Goggles" was one of her first words

the clan, minus mama.(not ready for summer pictures yet)

I'm Luke the Duke and im here to save the day!

2009-07-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

Nana taught him this little dusey...and its here to stay. unless of course he is batman, or superman, or spiderman, or a cowboy, or a jedi knight, or a bad guy, or a transformer, or a...ok, you get the picture right? He LOVES to play dress up. he often asks me where his dress up box is; its on my to do list i tell him. Here are some other things luke loves right now...

anything with wheels:

silly faces:

his mom & dad:

annie evans:

big girl already?

2009-07-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Annie.....
knows what she wants, and wont have anything else.
RUNS
throws tantrums in stores
loves to be pretty, and will sometimes sit still for it
hates cows milk.(goat milk girl!)
attempts to say anything you ask (with pretty good success)
loves to smell things
loves to brush her teeth (by herself of course. If I try...lets just say I don't very often)
knows how to answer questions(mmmhmm, and NO NO NO) according to her desires
pushes chairs all over the house to climb on things
loves babies!
LOVES deats(treats)

we miss you dad

2009-07-15T20:04:00.001-07:00

hurry home :0). I love you so much.

Magic water

2009-06-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

have you ever heard of Kangan water? at our house it is knows as "magic water" because Mom wants to make it sound more appealing. It is very alkaline water that is exactly what your body needs. Over acidity weakens the body's immune system. Human pH balance needs to be 7.365 to keep our blood flowing. That can be very tough to maintain considering the ph levels in most water. (bottled water especially is almost acidic as soda)
Check out this video on Kangen water, it is very informative! If you live in Utah you can buy this at some health food stores for about $1.50 per gallon, or if you are lucky your husbands aunt has a $4000 filter that hooks up to her sink!

Here are some reasons to consider drinking Kangen water:

1. Increase hydration
2. Balance your pH (neutralize toxic acids in the blood)
3. Increase Blood Oxygenation
4. Neutralize Free Radicals NATURALLY

Kangen Water has been used for more than 30 years in over 100 Japanese hospitals because of its scientifically documented health benefits. Based on scientific studies conducted at respected universities around the world, drinking Kangen water can:
• Release excess body fat and stored toxins
• Normalize blood sugar and insulin levels
• Normalize blood pressure
• Support healthy colon function
• Resolve urinary tract infections
• Reduce growth of candida and fungus
• Reduce chronic pain

there you go people, get your Kangen water!

smiley pants

2009-06-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

for those of you who know annie, this picture states her personality so perfectly:

he gives up:

luke adores his baby

always backwards down the slides...that would be fun i think.

annie bug is learning that being pretty can be fun,
but it sure is a lot of work putting those pretties on.

May happenings

2009-05-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

So here I am, behind AGAIN. here are some things we have done this last month.

luke completed his first of 3 years of preschool last week.They had a little performance, check it out.

Luke's preschool buddies:

The audience for their performance:
On their last day of school they had a field trip on their last day. he was pumped to ride the horses, then as soon as we got there he changed his mind. check out the video of another change of plans...

I didnt even realize i got this picture until it was uploaded. she was actually laughing.

annie LOVES to put her fingers inside mouths i guess,
oh-and watch out for your noses too.
she's quick.

Luke was an expert at ladder ball.

Annie finally got a big girl car seat:

I realized that there has not been a picture of me since...oh...Annie was born?
Here's me and the kids the other day:

whats the point?

2009-05-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Here is what their clothes look like at the end of the day...

and this is what they look like in the morning after being awake for only 20 minutes...
and here is Annie bug, picture perfect in the outfit that took me days to make...

and that same outfit just 1 hour later...
HMPH!

im here

2009-05-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hey there, its been a while since we've talked, dear blog page. what has taken me so long, you may be wondering? No camera(problem solved), we have moved, and i just have not felt like it! I got a call from Lupe Decker on Wednesday, April 23th asking if we wanted to come take care of her home because her son Luke was moving out. "YES!", we said! by The next Monday, we were out of our apt, and in my moms neighborhood. Our duties here include:lawn & garden care, regular maintenance, picking up mail, fighting off robbers, and saving $$ for our house. :0).
This is the place we call home for now:
Look familiar Kiers?

This is the view of the temple from our street:

and this is what you see out the front door:
I go hiking every morning; I love the views. The mountains call my name like the oceans do.

For mothers' day, we went to two dinners for which i did not have to cook. these were all taken on Sunday.

my silly little babies:

mauling grandpa:

I took this picture in my parents' front yard. She is down so low in the tree!

Life is good, we love every minute! Thanks for being apart of it. I wish a happy day for all of you. :0)

Wish i was "livin' in paradise"

2009-04-13T07:59:00.001-07:00

First of all, here is my dream blog...thats right Melissa, its yours. Chet and I are going to Hawaii next Feb for a nice vacation, but we would really like to make it permanent. Here are the top reasons why I want to live in Hawaii, not just a vacation people...i want to fly there and never come back. and I am sure my family would have no problem wanting to come visit, RIGHT?

*the warm rain. I remember playing outside every time it rained when i was little. (ok, i was still doing it when we moved from Fl..i guess i was about 13?)

*the beach. There is something therapeutic for me about just sitting on the beach and looking into the ocean-(wind, rain, or shine).

*being casual. I have never been, nor will i ever be a dressy person. i wear flip flops in January if I can get away with it.
*The SUN. i need the sun on my skin at least every day (you are thinking to yourself, isnt that as much as you could poccibly have?) I just need to make up for lost months in Utah winters with NO sun. sometimes i forget it exsists.

*friendly people. If you are late, no problem. If you come up short, we will make up the slack. If you need help, I'll be there. People just arent like that many places anymore...and if you are they think you are weird.

*GREEN. it is my favorite color, ever since I was small and my mom told me that was her favorite color becasue she thought it represented life. That is exactly what Utah is missing...color. We have so many different shades of brown here; and I thought there was just one brown, HAH.

*the warm air. Something about the heat(not 100 degree heat) soaking into my skin, makes you feel comfortable, happy, and WARM! Maybe this is the vitamins in the sun making me happy, but I love a cloudy warm day too.

*the expensive prices! oh wait, that is the reason I don't live there now, so that is something I DO NOT like. Someday I will make it there; and my blog will look like theirs. But for now, that trip in Feb 2010 will have to be enough for me to look forward to. :0/

p.s. i hope you don't mind me stealing your pictures melissa.

Happy Birthday Annie Bug

2009-03-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

here are twelve qualities of Annie's that are unique to only her..

1. She can make Chet smile like no one else can.
2. She is the only one who can make Luke gentle.
3. She is the only one I know who loves to eat toilet paper.
4. She can climb up and down a latter, but not the stairs.
5. She calls her mommy, "dada"
6. She is the only 1-year-old I know who can be gentle with scriptures. (I'm not saying trust her with yours though)
7. She hardly ever sits down. She likes to squat.
8. She has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen.
9. She can motivate me to pray.
10.She likes it when Daddy plays the computer(shes the ONLY one in that club...I'm sure of it) I love you Chet.:0p
11. Her favorite toys (we have 5 of them) are the garbage cans.
12. She seems to lift others spirits. (not unique to her, but special to me anyway).
Annie, we love you so much. We love the way you dance, the way you wont eat peas, the way you never leave your bows in, the way your smile makes everything OK. Happy birthday sweet angel.

We had a bbq for her bday dinner. Who knew she would love hot dogs?

And of course...the cake. Here is an approximate order of events:

I am not sure what to do, this is a little boring Dad.

hey, Dad keeps saying "MMM" I think he wants some!

This is tough work, i need a break (this happened a few times throughout the process)

Now we are having a party...

I have had about enough. Then she shook all you see off of her hand onto the floor, wall, table, her hair, the chairs, me...well, you get it.

We had a great family dinner. Thanks Annie for joining our family. We promise to always love you. (even if you do eat toilet paper)

Birthday Pictures

2009-02-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

we went to kiddie kandids for their birthday pictures. (luke 3, annie 1) I took Melissa's advice and used chocolate as the bribe, and Luke was putting himself in all sorts of cute poses all on his own. It was like a modeling shoot, it was so funny. The lady kept saying "ya, thats great! oh wow! Thats a great pose!" I loved it. Annie on the other hand got two good pictures out of 40. She was crying in all the other ones. humph. but the ones that turned out, TURNED OUT! (dont you think?)

Where is Annie?

2009-02-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

Peek-a-boo is a classic. just look at our classy lady go!

2009-02-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

I'm just putting in a plug for The Learning Locomitive. My sisters ROCK!

stop to smell the roses? what roses?

2009-02-05T12:45:00.001-08:00

Koren sent this story to me. For those of you who do not know what my schedule is like, lets just say I am busy. I probably miss so many opportunities to appreciate beauty. I am going to try to slow down a little, or maybe a lot. My children are beAutiFuL, my husband is so taleNteD. I miss out on so much, just because I do not focus more. I love you Chet, Luke, and Annie. read on...

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the
violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for
about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was
calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of
them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a
musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and
then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman
threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him,
but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he
was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother
tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the
violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to
walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by
several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced
them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and
stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk
their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and
silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there
any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best
musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces
ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a
theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100.00 each.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro
station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social
experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The
outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour:
Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize
the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best
musicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written,
how many other things are we missing?

little miss sunshine

2009-02-02T16:18:00.001-08:00

big boy, big girl

2009-02-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

Luke is now three. We had an awesome party at our house right after Dad got back in town. Also right after he came home, Annie walked to him, and has been walking since. She is slow moving but will just keep trying until she gets across the room. 10 months old...sheesh!
Luke's guest list:
Dama & Boppers
Nana, Grandpa, & Emma
Karyn, Brennan, & Elsie
Misha, Hadley, Maddox, & Lincoln
Mom, Dad, & Annie

3 going on, well...3.

2009-01-29T18:14:00.000-08:00

Today at school Luke had a little birthday celebration. The cupcakes were the result of his not being able to decide on a color, and Dad being out of town (we ate leftovers, and had a little extra time on our hands).
After school we went to Carl's Jr. with his cousins Brennan and Maddox. It was so entertaining to me because Luke could not quite make it to the top by himself. My sisters and I were yelling instructions up for Maddox to get down like a stool, and Luke climbed on his back. When he got all the way up to the top he WOULD NOT go down the slide. so I had to wiggle my way up there and slide down with him, and he found a slide more suitable for his size, hah.

(this was the slide he would do...its in the baby play place, haha. whatever makes him laugh, oh how i love his laugh!)

That looks like it hurts, he insisted it did not.

This is a video of his preschool class "singing" happy birthday to Luke. It was quiet quilt day; everyone wore their pajamas and brought their blanket. It was a fun day :0)

almost walking

2009-01-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

Annie stands up in the middle of the room all by herself now. She is very proud of that, and Luke gets even more excited. she will walk holding onto Luke's hand. The pink overalls she is wearing here used to be mine, that is so fun, especially since she looks so much like I did.

sleeping pill?

2009-01-09T09:00:00.001-08:00

I swear we didn't drug her...but last Sunday morning, Annie slept in until 10:30- when we WOKE her up.This was her after waking up, quite happy with herself.
During the Christmas festivities her cousin Eli came up to her and asked the nearest adult if she was Emma. They told her it was Annie, and he said, "right...i will remember that Annie is the one with the crazy hair." That's my girl.

NO I WILL DO IT!!!!

2009-01-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

I have learned yet another trick...I didn't realize how tricky Mom's really have to be.
When they first begin to understand you well (18 mo or so) you can ask them to throw trash away, go take something up to daddy. and when they can talk, you can send them up to tell Dad it is time for dinner. then they turn 2 1/2....AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH! Then you can't even get them to finish all of their cookie, just because you said so and they want to spite you! ( i know 2- year- olds are not supposed to be able to plot against you, but I swear we have a couple of those in our family.) SO.... this is supposed to be about how smart I am, right? Luke is competitive, and I have now used that MANY times to my advantage. just listen to this conversation......

"Luke,will you please go throw this poopy diaper in the garbage downstairs"

"um, no, not really"

"ok, I will do it" (i am so smart)

"NOOOOOOO!!!! I WILL DO IT!"

sometimes I add another,"no, really. It's ok, I will do it," just to make him go faster..hehe.

**There you have it folks - one tricky mommy.

p.s. i have been very reluctant to post lately because our camera is broken again, so sorry for the lack of Christmas pictures, new years pictures, or anything. mostly sorry to myself, because i want to have pictures of those times for our history, oh well...not the end of the world.

BYE BYE 2008

2009-01-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks Megan Wolsey for this fun idea...

Here is a recap of our wonderful year!

January - got our tax return and paid off our debt, eek. Mom and Dad Crosby moved back from Hawaii, mara-7 months pregnant with Annie. Luke turned 2 with a train cake! HUGE January blizzard kept mara and Luke inside for at least a week. Mara hs tons of contractions which worries us that annie is coming early

February - Chet started his new position as a printer technician. we dog sit for about 2 weeks. mara has a sinus infection, the worst one ever. Mara gets roses for Valentines day!

March - 17th-mara was induced annie arrives! She will always have green eggs and ham for her birthday breakfast, lucky girl. easy delivery- about 3 hours after we got to the hospital to be induced, we had another baby! Chet informs this is the last of our children, so enjoy!
April - we move to Orem, and miss living with Mom and Dad Crosby. I try my hand at a weekly blog entry. Mara gets IUD in. we enjoy some nice spring weather. Chet turns 24! We go to Bombay house to celebrate, followed by a homemade oreo ice cream cake.
May -we notice Luke has strange bumps on his head...a little concerning. Katie's wedding
June-realize that the AC in our car is not working. Luke has MRI, we find out he has chiari malformation. Daddy Bob and Jane married! Annie won baby contest
July- went to Parade in Provo, andd Gandolfo's for breakfast. BBQ with all Davies cousins.annie was blessed. aarons wedding
August - getting sick of the broken AC...almost time for school to start. Luke begins craniosacro therapy. Annie starts crawling! Mara starts work back at the Davis' house during after school hours.
September - Mara turns 23! Luke has his first day of preschool. we have great weather. Chet starts playing foot ball with his friends. Mara and kids got his by a car while walking down the sidewalk. Luke is FINALLY potty trained
October - luke a cave man, Annie a flower, chet uncle barry. pumpkin carving, the bean museum, we get weavils.
November - Obama wins the election. we are enjoying an actual fall season, no snow -just cool breezes and sunny days. Thanksgiving day at Crosbys. getting behind on blog entries. Luke's 2nd mri, very good news!
December - All the Davies in town, meet baby Emma. Chet quit WOW...for a minute. change in decorations, and weather. snow storm after snow storm after snow storm...our camera broke, again. we decided we want a new camera, then remembered we were poor. Mara got in an accident. waiting for next years tax return again... polar express, Celebrating the birth of our Savior

We love you all. We are so blessed to have so much family close by. We are blessed to have work, food, shelter, clothes, and especially the gospel. Thank you for all those who touched our lives in 2008.

That costs how much money?!?

2008-12-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

Ya, that is right, i am talking car seats. They are so dang expensive. How much do you really think they cost to make? For those of you who do not know, I was in a car accident about 2 weeks ago. You are supposed to replace the car seat after an accident because apparently they are not guaranteed to protect in another crash.So I have been really really wanting to get new ones, but we also have to pay more than our car is worth to fix it. Sheesh. Being a parent is hard. You want your children to have everything. to be safe always. So, I went to target.com and picked ouy my favorite 2 carseats, if money were not an issue. tell me what you think! :0)

p.s. i do not know what this is underlined - weird.

Grandpa is my hero

2008-12-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

Luke: we are driving in the car, which I hate. my mom is driving. mom always drives. if dad is here, dad drives. dad likes to go fast. i feel hot in my jacket. "Mom. take my jacket off!". "I can't, hunny I am driving". I dropped my legos on the floor this morning on my way to preschool. "mom, get my legos on the floor. I want to make a ship". "I can't hunny, I am driving". Mom always drives. I am bored...I saw grandpa yesterday driving his big black car. Nana has a new puppy in the car. It is not Lilo. "mom, is nana's new puppy blue? I think it is blue." "No, her new puppy is white Luke". "oh, white AND blue?" "no, just white." "oh." that would be cool if Nana had a blue dog. I want a blue dog. the sky is blue. the clouds are white. "mom, grandpa is always going going going going, moving, fixing things. Grandpa is a good fixer man. Grandpa just fixes the light, the tools, the trees, the clouds, the leaves. Grandpa does not sit down. Grandpa likes ladders. Mom, you do not like latters because you are not big enough. you will fall. Grandpa does not fall. Grandpa is like buzz light year. He likes to fix fix fix fix. I want to be a fixer. I want to be so so bigger like grandpa." "wow, grandpa is like buzz?" "mmmm, ya. grandpa can fly. I want to be buzz light year when I grow up."

life is crazy, no?

2008-12-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

Here we are at another Christmas season. I am very excited about this Christmas. All of my brothers and sisters will be in town. I am sad to say not all of Chet's family will be (we will really miss you guys) but I can vouch first hand that Christmas in Hawaii rocks.We have the house all decorated, lists off to Santa, and now it is just waiting for the special day. We have so much planned in the short time (4 days i think) that i get to see my brothers and sisters. It only happens about once a year, so I am really looking forward to it. I am even more excited to meet the newest member of our family, baby Emma Belle Davies, born in September.
My mom gave me these stockings(i have another red one incomplete) and they were from pottery barn and returned with someones name on them. my mom got them at downeast, and i covered them up with strips of fabric.

Annie is such a climber. She will find a way up just about anything. Her favorites are Luke's slide and the stairs. She got her first tooth on Sunday, so is extremely grumpy.

Luke is getting so smart at preschool. Another funny thing he does now a days is colors REALLY thoroughly. I'm talking, he wont put the color down until every inch of white is covered. and if his hand gets tired, he makes me finish it for him. He is really coming into the stinker stage. so, if he hits you, points his finger in your face, or just yells "NO!" at you, i greatly apologize. He is learning his boundaries and the power he has over others. He is also so into legos. He and Dad will play for hours making battle stations, space ships, and cars. I love Christmas this year because this is the first Christmas that he really understands what it going on.

best buds

2008-11-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

Luke loves his sister so much. Annie loves to be with Luke. They have such a great time together. Luke almost always shares his toys with her. Annie dances and screams with excitement when Luke walks in the room. They giggle, tickle, crawl, splash, and play together and I love every moment. Luke tells Annie that she is his best friend. I am so glad that they love each other, they will be best buds forever. As parents, we could not ask for more (except maybe a nap). The quality is not so great on this video, but you still get the gist of their fun. Annie is trying to drink her bottle, and Luke cant stop tickling her.

I spy

2008-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Can you find Luke? He all of the sudden is scared of monsters. We have to check his closet all the time, water guns in hand, to kill all the monsters so he can play alone in his room. I do not know how kids learn that the dark is scary. It must be natural instincts or something. So the story behind the picture is that when he goes to bed he likes to cover his whole body so that the monsters can not find him. He made many Halloween projects at school (a scary witch, a scary skeleton, a scary spider) all of which we had to take off of his "project wall" and throw away because he could not sleep with them looking at him. It is kind of fun because I can now be his hero by pretending to shoot the scary dragon that is on his ceiling. He also like to be the bad guy. He told me the other day that his ears were turning green...i snapped a picture with my phone right as he said this.
He is such a silly little dude. And sometimes when he is playing trains he likes to pretend that his sister is the "Annie monster". She likes to rip the trains off the track, so she plays the monster part quite well.

Annies silly ways

2008-11-05T12:00:00.001-08:00

Annie Zannie (one of her MANY nick names...there is also Annie Bug, princess-of course, girlie...the list goes on and on. i wonder if she will ever learn her name, because we hardly ever use it) is a funny little girl. She has the best facial expressions ever, and it seems that I always catch them on camera. She is a real babbler these days, saying "mama, baba, dada, blah blah" - those sorts of things. She does this funny thing when I give her a bottle she immediately turns on her side (probably a habit she picked up from nursing) so she can barely drink it. she ends up frustrated and full of air bubbles. so I end up having to hold her and feed her anyway...why did I stop nursing again? It is great bonding time together. I miss nursing her badly, my babies just didn't like it so much :0(. but now I have to write just one more sentence, because it has been pointed out that i always end my posts with some sort of a smiley face. so there.

August Rush

2008-11-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

I just got a new guitar for my birthday from Chet, and Luke LOVES to play. Every time I sit down to play he tells me to stop, because it is his turn. We also have a keyboard that you can turn on rhythms (like drums) and he strums along, well, mostly just hits is like August. it does sound pretty cool though ;0)

Halloween

2008-11-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

We made it to about 5 houses this year, which I a big improvement I think. Each year they will get a little more into it. Luke was a caveman. He LOVED his beard (almost). We grew his hair out to be crazy on Halloween, and just cut it today. Annie was obviously a flower. This was Emma's costume when she was about a year old. It is so neat to be able to say that. Thanks Nana for letting us use the costume!

Ode to Barry

2008-10-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

The photos speak for themselves.

Love at first sight

2008-10-30T12:26:00.001-07:00

we went to a Halloween party the other day at the Womble's house. As soon as our friends Jen and Chase walked in, Luke declared a new best friend, princess Chase. Yes...what you are seeing is real, a grown man wearing a prom dress. Luke thought this was the funniest thing, so he followed him around the whole night. Take a look - -

outdoorsman

2008-10-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Annie holding on for dear life, but still smiling - sorta

That word pretty much sums Luke up...ok not really. but he really loves to be outside. So even though it was cold, we ventured outside to ride his bike. He even let Annie tag along...we made it all the way from our front door to the sidewalk when he finally gave into the cold and asked me to turn the heater on outside. when I told him there was no heater outside in the winter, he said he would rather go back inside and ride his bike in the kitchen. He used those words too..."I would rasser". my boy can talk. :0)

The Bean Museum

2008-10-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

So I am pretty sure everyone has to have a post about this one, right? Why? because its free and totally cool.
I guess I went in the back door? or maybe it is the front door and everyone usually uses the back. anyway, it is a really neat door. I want doors like that someday.
The other day Luke was in the bath playing with a lion and an antelope...I probably should not have told him, but said, "did you know that lions like to eat antelopes?" he about died. you should have seen the look on his face. So, at the museum there WAS a lion nipping an antelopes back end...and he just sat and stared at it...then said "yuck, antelopes are gross." I love being able to teach him funny things like this.

Anyway, it was a wonderful trip all in all. Luke had an accident (which broke our streak of about a month) but it was my fault...darn mommy. He said mom i have to go pee, and i just could not find a bathroom anywhere...eek! Plus we were hauling a huge stroller around...NOT a good idea at the Bean museum. Next time its a snuggly for Annie, and pull ups for Luke.
Thanks Nana & Grandpa for the Indiana Jones hat...it goes everywhere with us. And you cant see his hand..but he also has his Mickey Mouse flashlight. That one even gets to sleep with him.

MY blog...MY way

2008-10-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

If you have not noticed already, this blog is almost entirely about our children, why? because we love them so stinkin much and anything new that happens is golden news to us. And, this blog is my main source of journaling. So...if you don't like it, don't read it! (I say this mostly for the following post. a little personal, but important to write down for history's sake)

MRI and other tidbits

2008-10-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

On with some more pressing news, Luke's MRI. In June we had an MRi ordered for Luke because of some unusual bumps on his head(which later turned out to be irrelevant to the issue). We did find, however, a chiari malformation. Most of you know, from the family e mail that we sent around what this is, and how it is effecting him. Since finding this out, and before the MRI today, we have been trying to improve his condition with Craniosacral therapy.

(pictures from therapy. he was more comfortable with Annie laying next to him. also, you can see that he is almost asleep. the treatments really relaxed him, and sometimes DID put him to sleep. she said she has never had a little child behave that way before. she usually has to chase them around the room, and ends up just working on the parents instead. she also said that when people respond that way, it is usually because they really need the healing.)

So in July, the surgeon said that we would have another MRI Oct. 23 to decide whether Luke would need surgery to correct the Chiari. Through much fasting, prayer, and temple attendance we left the doctors office today beaming at his news of no surgery, and no more MRI's for another 2 years (unless symptoms heighten).
He had to be sedated, which required an IV of course. He was so brave, no tears. He even smiled and laughed while they were sticking him because I told him he was getting a blue bandage with cars on it. He picked an ostrich for his prize, which made him completely forget that he had a needle in his hand. I got to hold him while they sedated him (this time, chet did that last time) and help him into the MRI bed. When he woke in recovery, he was pretty loopy. most children (so i have heard, and actually witnessed today) wake up extremely ornery. But not our Luke. He said he dreamed about cows and mickey mouse, and asked for some juice. I thought, "I'm so lucky, my child is so well mannered," but then we got home. He cried for the next four hours mostly because he could not walk on his own. Every time he tried he would lose his balance. So I did what any good parent would do and let him watch movies, fed him brownies, milk, and anything else his heart desired.
It has been a long day. Thank you to all of those who fasted, prayed, and went to the temple seeking blessings of healing for Luke, and comfort for us. We have a Heavenly Father who loves each of us, and hears our prayers. We are so grateful for that.

Annie's first real bath

2008-10-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, that sounds gross... I swear my kids have a bath every night. I will let the pictures do the talking (notice, no blue infant bath...sitting, crawling, slipping, sliding, and yes, even standing in the bath all by herself)

sibling rivalry

2008-10-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Annie had a hard day keeping her food down , so i basically followed her with the carpet cleaner and sprayed every time she made a mess. Luke got a hold of the spray bottle and sprayed annie in her eyes, and this was the result...

Other great news (i guess that first tidbit was not good news...anyway,) Annies hair is coming back! I'm proud to say that in another couple of months we will be able to get some hair styling going, yahoO!

I know it sort of looks like peach fuzz in the picture, but i swear I am telling the truth ;0)

First snow

2008-10-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Chet woke me up at 3am Sunday morning and told me to look outside. Our cars and the ground were covered in snow. It seems like it went straight from summer to winter. I know I will take this back come December 1st, but I am glad that the cold weather is back :0) Notice the little snowflake on annie's eyelash. She was totally enthralled by the snow, trying to grab at it and everything. I love going through the "exploration" stage again with another baby. Everything is new to her, and I get to be the one to teach her.

made with love

2008-10-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some things I have done lately. I have totally abandoned scrapbooking for the time being, and took up the sewing machine and other craft odds and ends. let me know what you think! (you may be wondering what happened to the carseat cover nana and I made for annie... she stained it so horribly with one of those lovely baby blow-outs that it could not be recovered)

the dining chairs before

the chairs after!(thanks for the help mom)

I know there must be more stuff, this is just all I have captured on film. I am working on an ABC quilt for Luke, and someday annie, to practice letters with...but that has been a work in progress since annie was born. who knows when it will be done.

fun fridays

2008-10-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

i stopped by my neighbors house yesterday for some "adult talk time" (I don't get much of that these days) and we decided to go to the pumpkin patch today. We showed up at 11:30, and there were about 15 school buses in the parking lot! Lucky for us they were all just barely pulling out, so we had the whole place to ourselves. They climbed on pumpkins, fed the roosters, crawled through tunnels, and most importantly, played on the playground. For 3 bucks, we had a great morning, and now we both have sleeping kids...which means a great afternoon!

Chets most recent victom

2008-10-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

Chet has class on TR for a 4 hour block, which you think would be punishment enough, but no...they have to make them stick each other with needles (for practice they say) every class period. Chet comes home with at least 2 huge bubbles of blood on his hands. This is Chet "getting someone back" for what they did to him...jk of course. We are so proud of him. :-)

yet another post...sick day

2008-10-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

We are all sick around here, don't come over or we will infect you or something. This is all we want to do today... (and catch up on blogs, of course)

Annie's hair looks really red in these pictures...hmmm

**notice lukes new cars slippers. I told him that boppers calls them "lispers", and he decided he liked that. Now when I tell him to get his slippers he has to correct me and say, "mom, dont say that. say lippers, sippers, slooeepers" 30 tries later, "lispers". Its funny, because I said lispers as a kids on accident, and he cant even say it on purpose.

party days

2008-10-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

luke had his very first birthday party this weekend. Isabel's 1st! Although we had to show up 30 min early, and leave just as is was starting, he is still talking about it. I wish I had taken a picture of the tutu I made her, its was really cute. I copied it from one I saw in Dear Lizzies (they wanted $90, i dont know anyone who would pay that). anyway, he got to ride on a saddle, eat a pig cupcake, and take home his own cowboy hat and kerchief. it was so great to see Kiersten, "big Luke" and Ciara. happy birthday Isabel, thanks for inviting us!

Crazy 8

2008-10-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Karyn has tagged. Blog tags must be pretty popular...

8 Favorite TV shows... or maybe the ones i watch the most?
1. the office
2. yup
3. thats
4. about
5. it
6.
7.
8.

8 Favorite Restaurants...
1. Cafe Rio
2. Cafe Rio
3. Cafe Rio
4. Cafe Rio
5. Cafe Rio
6. Cafe Rio
7. Cafe Rio
8. sorry, i don't get out much

8 things that happened yesterday... (this saves me a crazy long blog post, so thanks karyn)

1. I watched conference
2. I cleaned up poop off the floor, lukes hands, his pants, his sheets, my feet, lukes legs, my sheets, the bathroom floor, and the toilet. (dont ask)
3. threw up after cleaning poop
4. tried for 3 hours to get the kids to take a nap(unsuccessful in the end)
5. eighty loads of laundry
6. set up a divider in front of annies crib so luke would not climb up in it(big mistake, it fell on luke when he tried to climb it)
7. pulled ALL my hair out
8. took a sleeping pill

8 things to look forward to...
1. another baby (not yet, dont worry.) but hopefully someday
2. the morning off
3. no laundry duty for at least a day
4. my cold to be gone
5. luke to make every poop on the toilet
6. retirement...aaah
7. bedtime(sorry for being so negative, im just really sick today)
8. chets 2 weeks off in december.

8 things on my wishlist...
1. a crib tent to keep luke out of annies crib (those things cost big bucks)
2. a clean house
3. these shoes
4. and these boots
5. more time in a day (not gonna happen)
6. world peace
7. to live in Hawaii
8. a date with Chet (gonna have to agree with you karyn)

old mother hubbord

2008-10-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

I was getting something out of the cupboard today and noticed some dust coming out of a bag... then began the hour long process of cleaning out our pantry. everything had to go, yuck! There were little wormies inside everything, and eggs in other things. The weird thing is that is just cleaned out the cupboards about a week ago, and there was nothing out of the ordinary in there. These things are nasty, they eat through plastic bags and turn your food to dust, then turn into tiny little moths. So in a moment we are heading out to Walmart to buy tuperware containers to put all of our food in. rotten bugs.

im stuck

2008-10-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

Luke loves having a little sister, especially because of all the paraphernalia she comes with.

so long, farewell

2008-10-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

We are so sad to see Mr. Giraffe leave our house, but it was just his time. Mr. Giraffe (aka horsie...dont ask me why) served many purposes in the nursery including: play mate, coloring canvas, someone to throw punches at when you got a timeout in your room, a step stool for climbing into Annie's crib, and yesterday horsie was substituted for a toilet. Not really sure how to FULLY clean him, he is leaving us for good. If any of you want to try your tricks at getting pee smell out of stuffed animals, you will find Mr. Giraffe in the dumpster outside our house. Good luck ;0)