Barney Family

Medical Saga Continues

2011-03-11T10:51:00.006-07:00

So let me start out by saying......it must be all in my head. I MUST be crazy!

I get dizzy or lightheaded usually everyday a couple times. However there are days that I don't at all. Usually it happens when I go from laying down to standing up. Sometimes sitting....to standing up. It feels as though someone is "dimming" the lights as if into a tunnel, and then it comes back the same way it goes out. Sometimes I can just continue walking through it, sometimes I need to brace myself, sometimes I just sit down to prevent falling, and sometimes I actually black out and get tingly all over.

So, I have done a BAZILLION tests! So first off when the blood tests came back normal, they thought I had a hole in my heart. So with that came the trip to the Cardiologist. I wore a heart monitor for 2 weeks. We then did a stress test (heart monitors while running on a treadmill), a bubble test (which felt like my heart was burping tiny bubbles into my head), an EKG, and when all that came back normal they checked for hypostatic tension (blood pressure drops when positioning changes). All came back free an clear minus my heart skipping a beat or two. Nothing for concern.

Weeks later, nothing had changed, so I went back in for a few more blood tests, which this time showed I could be hypoglycemic.

Tried eating better for about a month.....and once again, nothing changed.

Then went in for a TILT (Syncope) test. That test rocked! They strapped me to a table, put monitors all over me, an IV, and then they numbed my hand up with Lidacain so that they could stick some sort of monitor clear up into my main artery in my wrist. Then I was injected with something I'd like to call "death" and then they stood the table upright. I felt TERRIBLE for about 30 seconds. I passed that test with flying colors as well.

Next stop was to the ENT. Possible inner ear problem. Got checked out, did some hearing tests and all came back normal. The ENT then sent me to see a Hearing and Imbalance Doctor for a possibility of Meniere's Disease. This doctor did all sorts of CRAZY tests. Looking at my eyes, blowing cold and hot air in my ears, shoving things in my ears. And once again....it all came back looking great.

So next step was a Neurologist. This is fun stuff right here....

Nurse, "Are you claustrophic?"
Me, "Ya...but I'll just think 'tanning bed'!"

I'm now inside this "tube" thing. I'm thinking 'tanning bed'. Now if you've never had an MRI before, let me tell you....it's not just a 45 minute nap because there are LOUD, obnoxious clicking noises the entire time. They start, stop, change, and scare you. So I opened my eyes for a sec....which was a HUGE mistake! I almost felt like I was in a casket! So I close my eyes again....'tanning bed...tanning bed' Happy place....HAWAII!' Well.....today Hawaii = Tsunami's...which then makes me think of Japan, which turns into earthquake! Oh I thought I was gonna die in there. I'm sooo glad that's over!

With that being said....I'm sure this is just another test I'm gonna pass. I ROCK!

"I'm Three!"

2011-02-28T19:42:00.003-07:00

Since when does a 3 year old know EXACTLY what they want?

"I want a pink bumblee birthday party mom. I want nilla cupcakes and pink frosting. AND I want grandma and Darla to come."
Happy Birthday to my sweet little 3 year old!

The Aquarium

2011-02-28T18:11:00.003-07:00

While at the Aquarium, we were lucky enough to watch the penguins being fed. There was an employee there answering questions. Someone asked if the penguins didn't like the fish they were being fed. He answered telling us that there was a leak in the ceiling which caused the paint to leave a white spot where the blue sky was. So to the penguins....it was very confusing, and they felt as though their sky was falling. So they had been a bit uneasy.

As we were leaving with their souveniers. Kaisey with her penguin backpack and Kali with her seal.

Christmas 2010

2011-02-28T17:51:00.007-07:00

So here's Christmas....minus the white fluff ball.
We are minus the two big girls. They were at the other halves for Christmas morning.
Kaisey asked Santa for playdough, Lalaloopsy, and Doll Walk for Christmas. This is "doll walk".
Kaleb made this tool box for his daddy at Scouts. He wanted to decorate it in BYU.
These two adorable girls bought presents for everyone all on their own this year....with their own money as well.

More Cancer

2011-01-22T10:32:00.005-07:00

I am very saddened to hear of another child being diagnosed with cancer in my area. You can read about Tim here. There is another boy I have been following named Super Spence. There are also 4 adults in my ward battling cancer at this time. It can happen to anyone at any time.

In conjunction with my last post....Please help my Wasatch Back team raise money for the American Cancer Society for research! It takes 5 minutes and even a small donation helps this cause!

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Please click here!

And thank you to all my friends and family who have already donated I appreciate you more than you know!

The American Cancer Society

2011-01-20T00:02:00.004-07:00

Ok Blog land. I have been wanting to run The Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay for quite some time now. Unfortunately the event sells out IMMEDIATELY and has been sold out for months.....or so we thought....UNTIL my darling friend who recently lost a sister to cancer found out that we could run this if we raised money for cancer. So here I am. Asking for you to help me raise this money. Our team must raise a minimum of $4800 and each as an individual must raise a minimum of $400. All of this money goes directly to The American Cancer Society! It's a great cause. I'm running in memory of Trent Duval. This little boy was AMAZING! I know this awful disease has affected way too many people! We are each running for someone who has touched our lives. You can help by going here! (Preferably clicking on me...Amy!) :)

Mr and Mrs. Claus

2010-12-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

"Hmmm....I want......Legos!"
"I want my two front teeth!" (While laughing hysterically!)
"I want a Lalaloopsy, Playdough and a doll walk!"
Then Santa surprised her with some playdough!

A big shout out to Julie Williams Photography for having this event. All donations were given to the Christmas Box House. Thank you as well to Mr and Mrs Claus. Aren't they just perfect?

My two front teeth!

2010-12-15T10:36:00.005-07:00

Kali lost her first front tooth due to being bumped by an elbow at school. She lost her second by tripping over the Christmas Blowup outside and smacking her face on the corner of the sidewalk. Poor poor little thing!
Then to make matters worse....I thought it was looking pretty bad the next day, so I swung her into the doctors office and it was infected. Poor Poor Poor baby!

2010 Christmas Progression at Dance

2010-12-13T11:21:00.001-07:00

Kaisey was super excited. However I was really afraid that she wasn't going to even try. She is sometimes a little naughty at dance class and doesn't participate.
Uh.....turn around Kaisey!
Then there was Kali. She did a GREAT job! I cannot wait to see her perform at her first competition.
Abbi's turn. She had her cheer and competition class recitals. She has improved SO much already this year. She now has her back walk-over, her round-off back-handspring, and her standing back hand-spring. I'm so proud of her!
Here's Kaisey performing.

Happy 12th

2010-12-12T11:06:00.001-07:00

Happy 12th birthday to my Abbi. She was turning 12 on 12/12. I thought that was pretty cool...so I decided to throw her a surprise party!

I started off by taking her to the mall to buy her some new clothes. We came home to this....

She was pretty darn excited AND surprised!

♪ Once there was a snowman ♫

2010-12-03T22:30:00.002-07:00

Kaisey "I wanna build a snowman. We need sticks for arms!"
Mom "First I have to clean the house."
Kaisey "I wanna build a snowman."
Mom "Yes. But now I have to clean the bathtub and give you a bath."
Kaisey "I wanna build a snowman."
Mom "Yes, but now I gotta shower."
Kaisey "I wanna build a snowman."
Mom "We have to go run errands first."
Kaisey "I want Wendy's and then I wanna build a snowman."
Mom "Ok we'll get Wendy's then you have to nap and then we can build a snowman."

.......and we FINALLY built the snowman but first she had to wear his outfit.

She's one persistant little thing!

School Pics 2010

2010-11-08T15:35:00.002-07:00

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T15:33:00.001-07:00

Ragnar Relay Vegas

2010-11-01T19:26:00.007-06:00

My very first relay and it was SUCH a blast. I'm hooked. This is my team. I was in van 1 and I happened to be runner 1. I had legs 1, 13 and 25. We started this journey in the Valley Of Fire and finished up in Vegas. 195 miles in 2 days. For those of you who think that Vegas is flat? Well we didn't run in THOSE places.
And we're off!
That blue speck? Ya. That's me.
Catchin' a rest whenever, where ever I could.
Just getting ready to start my 2nd leg. In the dark. By myself. On a trail. All I could think of was bobcat. I thought I was gonna get eaten. Especially when my headlight went out.
This was on my final leg. My last leg was an absolute killer. It ended up being practically straight up hill for 3 1/2 miles.
2 of my besties! Patrice I've known since Kindergarten, and Cindy I've met in High School.

I can't wait to do it again. April. California. Here I come.

Feeling Crafty

2010-10-19T10:57:00.003-06:00

Pillowcases I decorated with dance team...and football team info.
A decorative candy jar.

Oh 'Shoot'ers

2010-10-10T21:10:00.006-06:00

Marshmallow Shooters that is......

Let me just start by apologizing to all the people in my neighborhood for all the 'marshmallow attacks', and for turning the park into a 'marshmallow zone' (I couldn't very well have them all over my yard right??) Having overheard a couple of the kids tell Kaleb that his party was the COOLEST EVER was definately worth it!

Consists of:
1 7" PVC Pipe (schedule 40)
2 5" PVC
4 3" PVC
2 Elbows
2 T's
2 Stoppers
Paint of Choice

We watched this video on youtube.com
This looks a tad bit like payback doesn't it???
Re-loading.

Happy Birthday lil buddy!

A Beautiful Life Photography

2010-10-03T19:24:00.014-06:00

Some of my favorites!
Kaleb with mom and with dad.

Two best friends.

The girls with mom...and the girls with dad.
I'm realizing they are growing and changing WAY too fast to not get family photos more often.

Totally Radical 80's

2010-10-03T18:26:00.005-06:00

Hands down the FUNNEST party I've been to in a LONG time. I went with my friend because our husbands have been gone hunting.

Let's hear if for (the boy) ....the 80s makeup! ♪♫ You win for that!
Let's get physical.....Physical......♪♫
Interesting fact.....most of the stuff we are wearing was purchased recently at Rue 21. It's makin a comeback ladies! Thanks so much for all the laughs!!

Happy Birthday Kaleb 2010

2010-09-29T20:34:00.003-06:00

Sweet little boy! I cannot believe that you are 9. The years are just flying by. We haven't had his party yet due to football....and the Pinewood Derby....and hunting season. Coming soon.....

Kaleb choose to make a Police Car. It was AWESOME. However (that's never good right?) it didn't perform as good as it looked. At least we didn't take last place. (Sorry to the kid that did.)

Kaleb's last football game was AWESOME! He had 8 tackles, 2 of which were unassisted, and he had a KILLER block so that our team could get a touchdown. Way to go buddy!

Fire

2010-09-22T13:46:00.005-06:00

Sunday afternoon Trent told me there was a fire behind the mountain. I wasn't really worried about it til later that night I came outside to see this.....

I still wasn't TOO worried when I saw this.....

Trent in the mean time called me from taking Baylee to the airport. He told me that Camp Williams had started this fire. As the night progressed and we started hearing about all the evacuations WAY too close to us....we started to panic. I was trying to get the kids to bed because they had school in the morning. Kaleb was the MOST upset. "What if we don't get out in time?" I had to explain that this is the Firefighters job. They wouldn't let be in our homes if it wasn't safe. He was OK with that...but still pretty upset. We told the kids to say their prayers. IMMEDIATELY after Kaleb said his prayer he yelled, "MOM! It's gonna be ok. The Still Small Voice told me."

That's when I realized it was gonna be ok....but just to be safe, we packed bags up. I wanted to be ready so that if we DID need to go, we weren't gonna be without things we'd need. Soon after that Trent got called out for the National Guard to go help.

Then we saw this.....

Still is further away than it looks....but pretty scary.

Looking at this the day after. Unbelievable that only 3 people lost their homes. Truly a miracle.

So finally today I finally started unpacking my bag with my makeup, curling iron, blowdryer, favorite jewelry and clothes. Moved on to the kids and I was humbled once again by the things my children chose to pack (after I'd packed their clothes and shoes) a picture of Christ in one, and the Scriptures in another. They are constantly teaching me by their innocence.

A reminder to us all to be ready for emergencies. I would have left all of my important documents. I'm going to sit down and make a list of the things that we need to have. In watching a couple of my neighbors, they were taking pictures of everything they owned. Very very smart.

Football 2010

2010-09-08T12:55:00.004-06:00

Kaleb #25.
Going in for a hit.....
He decleated this kid. It was awesome. (and YES there was a bribe involved for good tackles....whatever it takes right?)

Labor Day Weekend 2010

2010-09-07T15:05:00.009-06:00

The annual trip to Crystal Hot Springs. There were several families that went this year. It was SUCH a blast. I absolutely love hanging out with these people. :)

Camera Wars. I think I won!
The Hungry Caterpillar. This thing was GINORMOUS! The markings just in front of that black line looked like eyes...and it has blue dots down its back. I tried to find out what kind of caterpillar it was but I have been unsuccessful so far. So I picked this guy up in a cup (cuz my dog was playing with it) when I put it down on the table it puffed up like that. It was making those yellow eyes (on its back) look big and scary. Kinda cool!

Do you like the word COUGAR strategically placed right behind our heads? Yeah...that wasn't on purpose. But it's pretty funny.

First Day of School

2010-09-07T11:13:00.003-06:00

Abbi and Kaleb's first day of school this year. Abbi is already in 6th grade. She is a Student Body Officer this year. I volunteered to be the parent coordinator for Student Government. I think it will be a really fun way to do my volunteer hours for the Charter School.

Kaleb is in 3rd this year. He also just started tackle football. He is LOVING it.

Hypoglycemia

2010-09-01T10:06:00.005-06:00

"...If you think you may be going crazy; if you have thoughts of suicide; if you're constantly exhausted, anxious and depressed; if you go weeks without a decent night's sleep; if your personality changes like the flip of a coin; if a counter full of munchies doesn't satisfy your sweet tooth; and if your doctor thinks you might be a hypochondriac because medical tests don't show anything physically wrong with you - "

Finally some answers to my craziness! The Instacare referred me to a cardiologist after passing out in the shower over 3 months ago. I would get light headed and dizzy just by standing up ALL the time. They ran blood tests and everything came back perfect. The thought was that there was a hole in my heart. After doing an echo, stress test, and the bubble test (other than my heart skipping a beat here and there) they told me my I was perfectly healthy. Sigh of relief...but then the tears. "What the heck is wrong with me?" Back to the my doctor with more questions. He did more blood work. He called me yesterday and told me that my blood sugar was low, and I am hypoglycemic.

So in doing some research...I found that quote above. Fit me like a glove! It's certainly nice to know I'm not alone.

Are you kidding me?

2010-08-30T13:19:00.002-06:00

Kaleb was being a little stinker and annoying his sister. So she chased him out of her room with the threat of a swift kick in the butt....or as Kaleb says, "I was running from her foot!" He jumped into bed and hit his head (hard) on the chair molding. It took 6 staples to close up his wound. The only thing he was worried about was not being able to play football.

Kali's 7th birthday party

2010-08-30T08:48:00.005-06:00

Kali's cute party friends.
Pizza and cupcakes before her swim party.

Kaisey's first dance classes

2010-08-30T08:17:00.003-06:00

Kalyssa's turning 7

2010-08-11T19:30:00.003-06:00

This is Kali's surprise face as she came into her room to find.........

Her new pet parakeet. She named her Aqua.
Happy Birthday Kals.

Yuba Fun 2010

2010-08-02T10:55:00.012-06:00

A good game of Lasso Golf with stupid hats.

Good times and good friends. I'm ready to go back!

Cliff jumping.
Abbi jumping above....Kaleb jumping below
Daddy and Kaisey on the Barney Board.
She looks terrified...but she was smiling and laughing. It's all she talks about now.

The kids built a sandcastle and Kaleb started making Dum Dum flags.

First Day of 2nd Grade

2010-07-26T18:29:00.003-06:00

Hogle Zoo 2010

2010-07-24T21:33:00.004-06:00

This trip to Hogle Zoo was pretty cool. We walked in and saw this little Falcon.
Followed up by the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
Then off to Natures Nightmares. The cluster of bats hanging from a tree.
We then went to a Discovery Show where we were able to touch a couple animals.
......and the pooped little pumpkin.

FIRSTS

2010-07-17T18:38:00.004-06:00

First produce from the garden.
First year of tackle football.
AND....first dentist appointment. Kaisey did fantastic. No tears, and no fear.

My First Garden

2010-07-12T10:45:00.003-06:00

My very first garden. We planted raspberries, strawberries, cilantro, green onions, onions, tomatoes and squash. It seems to be in a perfect location. Things are growing really well. But of course we have to make it cute with the little labels. We used metal stakes and gorilla glued it to a piece of tile and completed it with vinyl.

Stadium of Fire

2010-07-11T21:47:00.006-06:00

Abbi was in the Stadium of Fire this year. I'm so proud of her. The performers did amazing!
Abbi's dance Team for SOF
Rehearsal
We didn't think that we'd even be able to see her.....but we found her. Right behind the N
Carrie Underwood performed. She is such an amazing singer.
Kaisey was extremely scared of the fireworks. It didn't help that she was sick with an ear infection and fever.

After the show Abbi with two of her friends.

Seven Peaks

2010-07-11T21:40:00.002-06:00

We went to Seven Peaks with our neighbors. We only planned on staying there for a couple hours anyhow...and then we got rained out. And when I say rained out....I mean POURING rain. We barely made it to the car. During our short stay we managed to loose Kaleb for a little bit. I get extremely nervous with kids and water due to having one of my best friends drown when I was 5 years old. I kept calm until I finally found him. The poor boy was a wreck.

Newest Creation

2010-07-11T21:30:00.002-06:00

Bought the ugliest busiest frame that I could find. Then I spray painted it brown. We then staple gunned ribbon to the back. Voila! I found this idea on a blog a while back.

Where on earth do I start?

2010-06-17T22:06:00.008-06:00

I haven't been feeling well the past 4 months hence the slacking. Lots and lots of constant stomach pain. They did blood tests, urine tests, x-rays, ultra-sounds, EGC (down the throat) and a colonoscopy. That all came back negative. The next test was a hyda-scan. I was already in pain (constant pain) when I went in for this test. They basically inject you with a tracer, and then watch your gallbladder fill up. Once it's full, they hook you up to a pump which injects a substance that simulates eating a big ol burger and some fries....and maybe a diet coke. Y-U-M. Anywho....during this phase of the HOUR long test, my pain increased. However, after the doctor received the results they still came back functioning perfectly fine. So the next step was just to take the dang gallbladder out and PRAY that was the cause of the pain.

I was thrilled to find out that my gallbladder was inflamed and diseased. (Imagine the look on the surgeons face when I'm practically jumping up and down for joy!) The pain is not completely gone yet...but I feel a TON better.

Then came the year end dance recital.

Memorial Weekend.

Abbi made the class tryouts for Student Body Officer for school. Then it was on to school election. So we had to get posters ready, handouts, and then it was up to her to hand all this stuff out and give a speach. I was really disappointed when she told me she over-heard another girl telling kids to not vote for her as she ripped up her handouts. What poor sportsmanship. I was however please with how she handled the situation.

But was once again disappointed and my heart broke for her when she didn't make it. The kids chose 4 of the SBO's and the teachers/principals were going to choose the last 4. I was thrilled to get a call from the Principal telling me that she was still chosen to be an SBO for next year. AND what was even better? When I told Kaleb that she made it and he almost cried he was so happy for her.

Kaleb had been hit several times with pitches last year. This year he started out doing real well.....until he got hit again. He started shying away from the ball again. So I told him I'd give him $5 if he hit the ball. He more than hit the ball. He got an in-field home run. But he had to earn it. He got stuck in the hot-box or pickle (as they call it) between 3rd base and home. It was so intense. But he never gave up and was victorious. I am SO proud of him.

St. George Dixie Jam 2010

2010-04-11T22:35:00.004-06:00

In the pool before the solo competition.
First place!

Abbi and Brynn
Lexy, Abbi and MiKayla. 1st in lyrical, 1st in jazz and 1st in hip hop. Way to go girls! Now trying to keep brother occupied was another story......
For reals...this is what I was dealing with!!

Sand Dunes Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T22:12:00.008-06:00

For Easter weekend we decided to go to the Sand Dunes with some super fun families in our ward. Here's Shelli teaching Kaleb how to ride a motorcycle.
And off he goes........
......and goes........
.....and goes. We pretty much didn't see him this camping trip other than when he went around and around us on that bike.
Look at those skinny little bruised up legs!
Abbi and Kaleb cruising around.

Kaisey totally OUT after a good ride.

Mr. Miagi.

Kali with her new best friends Brittany and LaReesa.
Kali was so excited when the Easter bunny found us. Not to mention the cute baskets that my mom sent for the kids.

Such a fun trip! Now we are hoping to have our own toys by next Easter weekend!

Princess Hair

2010-04-01T11:23:00.002-06:00

I just found the MOST ridiculously adorable website for girls hairstyles. Princess Hairstyles anyone with a little girl MUST check it out! Great ideas!!

Spring Fling 2010

2010-03-21T16:33:00.003-06:00

First dance competition of the season. Abbi begged and begged to do a solo. We finally caved with the PROMISE that there would be lots of practicing without complaining. I'm sure you can guess how that ended. I think I might have been more nervous than she was. She put on her game face and danced right into my heart! I couldn't control my tears! She was AMAZING! I couldn't have been prouder......except for when she took 1st place. That look on her face says it all doesn't it?

The next day was group competition. Her team ROCKED! They took 1st in lyrical, 1st in jazz, and GOLD in hip hop.

A Snowy Morning Conversation

2010-03-05T08:14:00.004-07:00

By The Mom

Kaleb: "Mom! I don't know where my snow boots are!"

Me: "I do. They are in the backyard where you left them weeks ago."

Kaleb: "Oh. Well what am I gonna wear then?"

Abbi walks out with a thin jacket on.

Me: "Abbi! It's snowing."

Abbi: "I know."

Me: "Seriously? Get a coat on."

Abbi: BIG nasty sigh as she walks into her room, comes out with coat on, and "pretty" boots.

Me: "Abbi? Are you really gonna wear those shoes instead of your snow boots? Your feet are gonna get cold and wet in the snow."

Abbi: "Mom! We aren't even gonna play outside because it's snowing."

Me: "Abbi you do have to walk in and out of the school."

No shoe change and enter carpool picking up the kids across the street.

Me: "They are here! Walk on over."

Abbi: "I don't want to walk all the way over there....it's snowing!"

Par-tay???

2010-03-01T11:21:00.011-07:00

Kaisey to doctor's for croup= steroid shot + cough medicine
Kaleb to Instacare for suspected strep= virus + cough medicine
Kaisey to Instacare lethargic= double ear infections + anti-biotic
Trent to Instacare= cough medicine + anti-biotic
Kali to Instacare fever= urinary infection + anti-biotic
Kali BACK to Instacare 2 days later with higher fever= pneumonia + another anti-biotic

So here's where my fun begins.
See how cute that giant cupcake is? Yeah. It was hell. So I follow the simple easy directions for the Big Top Cupcake. Simple my ______. I followed the directions. Regular cake mix, spray cleaned liners with non-stick coating, bake for 35 min til toothpick comes out clean from each piece, wait 15 minutes til cooled and then gently remove. Nope. Gently removed and the thing fell apart. Alright...so we'll try it again. Regular cake mix...blah blah blah, spray with non-stick coating AND I flour as well.

I then jump in the shower, because I've got to get ready for church. Trent calls and tells me he's gonna drop off Kali (from the Instacare) so he can run and get her some medicine since she's NOW got pneumonia as well as the urinary infection.

Voila! Big Top Cupcake works this time.....only as I'm taking the top out I accidentally drop it in the sink...and it falls apart. Here's where Trent drops Kali off and I'm furious, as well as worried about my little girl. I've GOTTA leave to get to church...so I'm just gonna leave the kids with Abbi for about 15 minutes til Trent gets home.....and then Kali pukes all over the floor. As start to clean that up (in my church clothes) Kaleb informs me that the dog has puked as well. This is where I start to get REALLY frustrated.

Head to church find a sub (THANK YOU Brother Fugal) and try not to bawl like a baby.

Get home in time to clean up MORE puke, and start another giant cupcake. Regular cake mix blah blah blah! Phew! Last time is a charm. I've got SO much cake I can make Cakepops for days! Be ready neighbors....because if they stay here my diet is toast!

My SWEET Abbi took care of bathing Kaisey, getting her dressed, and even doing her hair.

Par-tay time!
After EVERY present Kaisey would say "OPY" (open). So each present would be carefully taken out of the package and loved before we could move on.

Then came the giant _____(insert choice words here) cupcake. Blowing out the candles.......
.....and then she bit into before we could stop her!
Happy Birthday to my sweetie pie! Here's to better health!

Mommy's Little Stinker

2010-02-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

My little stinker is 2 today. I can hardly believe that 2 years have passed already.
Kaisey LOVES to sing, dance, and change her clothes. 99% of the time she's in her diaper, and it's not because I don't get her dressed.

She is such a blessing to our household. I cannot begin to imagine our life without her! We love you little girl!

Photos by Impressions Photography

Trade Off

2010-02-25T14:36:00.003-07:00

I have begun training for my 1/2 marathon in May. Hitting the gym 3 times a week, and running at night, and I've started playing indoor soccer again. Alright...so it's not JUST for the 1/2 marathon, but I want to have my cute, lean, firm body back. However, I feel as though I'm trading some of my sanity for it! Getting up at 5am to be at the gym by 5:30am for my strength classes. Mind you I sleep in my gym clothes because I KNOW that at the last possible second I'm gonna change my mind about sleeping in and want to RUSH out the door. "Amy! You're only hurting yourself!" Yep. That's the conversation I have with myself every dang morning.

Here's where said 'trade off' walks in. HOW on earth does a non-morning person not take a nap when the little one is sleeping? I should be cleaning the house, I should be paying the bills, I should be blogging, I should be this and I should be that. How am I going to start balancing everything? I'm my own worst enemy and critic! I thought that exercising was supposed to increase your energy?

It's so hard to continue this insane exercising ritual when it takes time (A LOT OF TIME) to see any results....other than my untidy house!

I'd better get to bed early tonight! I've got another 5:30am class in the morning!

Superbowl Crafting

2010-02-09T13:25:00.003-07:00

Several months ago (after seeing The Blind Side) I decided I was a Raven's fan. But...because I love the fleur-de-lis, I also decided I was a Saints fan. WAY TO GO SAINTS! Anyhow...I wanted to show my new found devotion but didn't want to spend an arm and a leg since the season was basically over.

Here is my $6 tee shirt from Target, and some iron on's from JoAnn's. (Thanks to my sister who just happened to have them handy at her house!)
Thanks also goes out to my awesome friend and neighbor Kim for having us over for the game!

This Is It

2010-01-27T09:29:00.003-07:00

What an AMAZING, TALENTED, GIFTED man! Of course I always knew that because I've been a HUGE fan my entire life! I remember running around in my friends basement rocking out on the Billy Jean record. (Yeah the word 'record' probably just dated me!) I also remember being FREAKED out at the Thriller video! (Not so freaky these days) Rocking out in my car to his greatest hits and having my kids ask who is Michael Jackson? Watching this movie and seeing how he re-made Thriller just saddens me. He left this world FAR too soon!

AND Thanks ladies for the super fun and delicious 'This Is It' party!

Missing.......

2010-01-26T08:15:00.004-07:00

.........one 6 year old's tooth!
Kali told me last week that her tooth was loose. I checked but thought she was full of it. Sure enough while brushing last night out it came! She is so excited to be growing big!

My little Jr. Jazz thief! Kaleb is extremely good at stealing the ball. He can't quite make a shot though!
Abbi has once again made it in the top 10 for the Science Fair. Judging will be on Friday. I'm so proud of her and her hard work!

AND....for the little turd. At FHE last night she thought it was pretty funny to put the scripture bag on her head and totally disrupt us! But she sure is cute eh?

Slacking Once Again

2010-01-21T09:45:00.002-07:00

When I made my New Years Resolutions, I forgot the "Diet Factor". I have been checking out all these DELICIOUS foody blogs and have to say to myself "3 more weeks Amy!" I will more than make up for my lacking dishes. Count on that! As for now down 10 pounds and going strong. My goal is 5 more! Can't wait to hit the gym in one more week!

So Many Things To Do

2010-01-16T14:34:00.004-07:00

I am a total list maker. I saw this idea on someone's blog. I thought it was adorable. I had this old brown clipboard that was tattered and really worn. I just dressed it up with some scrapbook paper, ribbon, and a little vinyl. I also had some sheet metal that I added under the maroon part and voila! I've got a really cute little place to keep all my sticky notes....and "Things To Do".

Abbi and Baylee after their friend Charly's birthday party! Aren't they cute?
Abbi teaching Kaisey how to make a peace sign.

Abbi and I have really started butting heads lately. Turning 11 hasn't been so fun for us. I finally decided that I was the adult and to make some changes. Change one would be to just let a little more slide. I ask myself "Is this issue really worth a battle?". Usually the answer is no. I kept my voice down...most of the week anyhow! I also have tried to be a better mom by having fresh baked cookies and chocolate milk ready for them when they come home from school. (Thank you Costco and your giant container of Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough!) Well....let me tell you how much those little things did for me. I was busy running around (like usual) and asked Abbi if she could watch Kaisey and just scramble the eggs while I ran Kali to dance. When I got back she had already started the french toast AND they were eating. Ding Ding Ding! I've hit the jackpot. Pre-teen/teenagers want....RESPECT. I guess I didn't realize that I wasn't giving her proper respect.

As for my new recipe this week.....I have tried using more spices lately when I cook and have discovered that Ground Cumin is delicious. We made lettuce wraps and spiced the chicken up with it. YUM!

AMAZING BUTTERMILK ROLLS

2010-01-05T18:18:00.003-07:00

My first recipe came from the Sisters Cafe. I LOVE that blog!
Tried and tested.....the roll dough WILL stay good in the fridge for 7 days! Awesome! I will admit that I did this recipe before the new year, but I cooked the rest after.

Buttermilk Refigerator Rolls

Submitted by Melanie

3 cups Buttermilk (room temperature)
3 cups flour
1 T. yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water (first let rise a few minutes)
½ cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten with a fork
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour (sometimes you need a cup more--it should not be too sticky)
½ cup oil
1 tsp baking soda

Dissolve yeast in ¼ c. warm water and let proof a few minutes. Mix the buttermilk, flour and yeast together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Cover and let this stand at room temperature until double in size, about 2 hours.
Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, oil, and baking soda. Mix well and knead for 7-10 minutes. Roll out what you want and place the rest in the refrigerator, covered. The next time you want some fresh baked rolls, take from the bowl what you want and again put the rest back in the refrigerator. It will keep for 7 days. (This is perfect for Sunday meals because you don’t have a lot of mess to clean up and it’s quick.)
Let rolls rise on baking sheets until double in size. Time depends on the room temperature, usually 1½ - 2 hours. Dough from the refrigerator will take longer because the dough is cold.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Brush with melted butter if you like.

Julie and Julia

2010-01-03T05:00:00.001-07:00

Katie, Abbi and Lexy and their very first apple pie.

Which reminds me of the movie Julie and Julia. It's basically about a girl who takes on a challenge to cook EVERY recipe out of Julia Childs cookbook in 1 year. Which is more than 1 new recipe a day. CRAZINESS! One of my new years resolutions this year is to cook 1 new recipe a week. Thus enhancing my current cooking skills which will make my husband VERY happy.

A few of my other resolutions:
Get back into shape (another 1/2 marathon in May)
Quit the bottle (of Diet Coke that is)
Try to say "Yes" to my kids more often
AND have more patience.

New Years Eve 2009-2010

2010-01-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!
We went to our neighbors for a Par-tay! We had delicious fondue cheese dip, vegetables, chicken and beef. Then we finished off the food with some chocolate fontain, and fondue chocolate as well. YUM!
Bishop Garrison couldn't get enough! Then we played some games and had a hysterical time. Chris is the all-time Guestures winner. I dare ya to ask him if his "air horse is eating grass?"
We found out these little do-hickies could acutally stick to your head.

Cute little Aiden.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Kali kept telling me she wanted the "boo-ya" from iCarli. Had no idea what it was. I finally just bought this thing....which turned out to be the "boo-ya". It has buttons and one of the buttons boo's....and another button says yeah! For the love!

We really tried to keep Christmas small this year. It was short but sweet. Notice Trent's hat...because it will probably never be worn again due to the Utah half. I thought it was hilarious.....he did not.

Christmas Eve 2009

2010-01-01T18:24:00.005-07:00

Our Christmas present to ourselves is getting our basement bathroom finished. Yeah!

We started Christmas Eve out by going to Build-A-Bear.
Then we went to Grandma Thomas'.
Then we came home and got into our Christmas Eve pajamas. I couldn't get a decent shot of the kids....but I thought they were pretty funny pictures. Thank heaven's we have our fantastic photographer Julie!

Santa 2009

2009-12-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Kaisey was VERY afraid of Santa at first, and she warmed up and even gave Santa a hug and a kiss.
Abbi says to me, "Mom, I don't want to hurt your feelings but I don't believe in Santa Clause. I also don't believe in the Easter Bunny OR the Tooth Fairy....and by the way, you owe me a dollar for the last tooth you forgot."

Photos by Impressions Studio

Busy December

2009-12-18T09:59:00.011-07:00

Happy 11th birthday to my Abbi! I cannot believe that she's growing so fast! 11 years ago on her due date, I told her daddy Brad that we had 5 minutes to make it to the hospital before another contraction. AND....he had locked the keys in the car while it was running. But we made it and 16 1/2 hours later, Abbigale was born. Abbi is such a witty, loving, and VERY smart girl.

We gave her a CHEF party. My mother made the aprons and we put the girls names on the hats. I attempted to teach the girls how to make homemade lemonade, rootbeer, fruit pizza's, and mini pizza's. We also had a chocolate fountain.

The next morning was our ward christmas brunch. There were some fun activities for the kids to do including a pinata. Kaisey wanted her turn....until it was her turn.

The dance studio had it's christmas recital as well.

Stranger anxiety? Or should I say Santa anxiety?
Kaleb built his very own snowman all by himself! The snowman also has on a BYU beenie.

She's FINALLY getting some hair!
What an adventure we always have with this little girl. Each christmas we let the kids pick out a new ornament to put on the tree. I think that Kaisey has broken almost every one within her reach AND we've only had our tree up for 6 days.

Slacker

2009-12-06T18:30:00.004-07:00

So I'm officially a blogging slacker. Forgive me father for I have sinned. I've become slightly addicted to a facebook game. Anywho.....

We have been really busy with a sick little girl. We ended up taking our very cranky Kaisey in to the ER 3 nights in a row. First one was to do a catscan to be sure that she wasn't having an apendicits. Next night I spent 4 1/2 hours getting all sorts of things checked. Still nothing. 3rd night Trent took her up to PCMC and after doing a few more tests, they looked at the scans that hospital number 2 did and said she was "basically full of poop." For the LOVE.... But she's once again back to my happy little girl! It took several days with medicines to finally make her regular.

Next we've been busy with another book report project. This is Abbi's Titanic.

Abbi has also been really busy learning her solo for dance competition, and learning the violin, as well as regular dance classes, and homework.

Grandma came out and made Gingerbread houses with the kids.
Baylee taking a sneaky bite. I caught her!Kaisey has found a new love for Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go! We pulled out some of Kali's old toys. Kaisey set up the table with chairs around it and then would say, "Sit down" AND then she'd actually try to sit in the chair.

Kaisey has also been a very busy girl. Abbi was only sort of in trouble for leaving her pencil down....because we were getting ready to repaint her room for her birthday.

We got out the blow-ups decorations tonight and as Kali was measuring her height to Rudolf's she says, "Mom me and Rudolf must be the same age!"

School Pictures 2009

2009-11-11T12:40:00.003-07:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-09T19:36:00.004-07:00

The charter school has a Fall Festival. The kids had a fantastic time, and they did an excellent job putting it together. There were tons of games, 2 balloon artists, and lots of fun prizes. Yes....Abbi did go with us, she just disappeared with her friends the entire time.

The kids ready to Trick or Treat.

Abbi wanted the cool vampire eyes, and teeth like Trent and I. Getting those contacts in Trent's eyes was super frustrating. I was able to pop Abbi's right in. Good job sweetie!

FRIENDSSammy and Kaisey.
Analise, Kali and Rori.

Thriller

2009-10-25T12:38:00.003-06:00

My sister and I took my mom (and my girls) to see Odyssey Dance's production of Thriller. We had a fantastic time. I think my favorite performance was the the Jason's. It was a little scary, a little funny, and a lot of Zombie's dancing. I was however shocked to see LITTLE kids in the theater.

Later that night we went to our ward's Trunk or Treat and chili cookoff.

Happy 9th Anniversary

2009-10-14T19:52:00.006-06:00

Happy 9th Anniversary Baby! This is what I got in the morning.........

.....and this is what I got in the afternoon.

I took Kaisey up to her appointment at Primary Children's Hospital, and we came home with a cast.

Nurse: "What color would you like if a cast is necessary?" (Showing me like 15 colors.)

Mom: "Oh it won't be necessary." (Because I'm expecting them to tell me that I'm crazy psyco mom.)

Nurse: "Well just in case."

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-14T13:43:00.002-06:00

Kaleb's Baptism

2009-10-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

To follow the Savior, to do what is right.
I'll covenant with Him to always be true,
For this is the thing that he wants me to do.

I want to be baptized when I have turned eight,
To enter Christ's kingdom through baptism's gate.
I'll take His name gladly, be known as His child,
And strive to be worthy, more Christ-like and mild.

I want to be baptized by God's priesthood power,
Be given His Spirit, be cleansed as by fire.
The Spirit will guide me if I will obey
And help me return to my Father one day.

....and the bad luck continues.

2009-10-09T17:49:00.002-06:00

Yup. Seriously. We were at Kaleb's flag football game and Abbi took Kaisey over to the park to play. She brought her back and said she fell and got hurt. (Just today I finally wrangled the truth out of her, and they went down the slide funny.) Anywho we went to the Instacare and we got x-rays. There was nothing out of the ordinary but she was clearly favoring her left leg/foot. They said to give it a couple days and if she still wasn't looking good to bring her back. So I took her in to see her Pediatrician today and he did more x-rays. Still there's nothing showing up, but she's acting worse. He put her in a splint, and said to come back after the weekend if she still won't walk on it. Apparently a break can be very difficult to identify. It's either OBVIOUS, or it can take a few days or so to show up.
One of my AWESOME friends/neighbors just stopped by with a treat and a Diet Coke. What an angel. You made my day (and almost made me cry). What a blessing you are!

Welcome October

2009-10-04T19:26:00.004-06:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE October. I LOVE Halloween, LOVE scary movies, I LOVE haunted houses and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE October's craft.

I don't so much love having to pull all the annuals out of the flower gardens. But this was so cool. Remember Abbi's science fair project? The Merigold's that she grew? This is ONE of hers. The one's that I bought from the store were teeny tiny. I hated having to pull out these beauties!
Not such a good day for Kaleb. He has ended up with his first migraine at age 8. Mine started at the age of 13. He hurt so bad after refunding, that he didn't want to leave the bathroom. So I got him a pillow and his blanket. He finally fell asleep. Poor poor thing.

Miley Cyrus

2009-10-02T11:31:00.003-06:00

I took the girls to see Miley Cyrus. I thought the concert was excellent. Poor Miley was sick with the flu and ran off the stage to refund. It was obvious. She took a 5 minute break. The show did go on folks. You know how crappy you feel when you have the flu? I for one would rather just stay in bed within close vicinity of a toilet. So I was very impressed. The show was super cool with lots of aerodynamics.

Metro Station opened for Miley. Had some serious laughs at her brother Chase. He loves to do front herkies with his guitar. (For those of you who are illiterate in Cheer..that'd be a cheerleading jump.) He also was a little obsessed with his hair. constantly putting it back in the right spot. He also had MANY MANY tatoos. Not that I have a problem with tatoos. It's your body....but Miley is still a role model for many little girls. And THAT my friends is just my personal opinion.

Great job Miley!

Birthday Boy

2009-09-28T10:02:00.006-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet busy boy! I cannot believe how fast you've grown! You were born shortly after 9/11 and I was fearful that terrorists were going to blow up the hospital while I was giving birth. You were such a cute little fart with some of the biggest cheeks ever! I'm proud of the little man you are becoming, and the choices that you are making.
I love you!

Kaleb's Birthday Party 2009

2009-09-22T08:43:00.005-06:00

Kaleb hasn't officially turned 8 yet. He wanted a Luau. We had his party last weekend since it's starting to get cold. The kids got lei's as they came to the party. They ate Hawaiian Pizza, decorated their own cupcakes with Hawaiian flowers, tie dyed t-shirts (what a mess), swam in the pool, and played in the hot tub. We over heard a couple of the kids saying, "Kaleb, this is the coolest party ever." Mom's job is done here. Ha.
While Kaleb was opening his presents we were obviously distracted. We noticed this.
My sweet little Kaisey dumped all the sprinkles onto her plate and was eating it in handfuls. Never a dull moment at our house.
One more birthday party to plan this year. Whew. Parties are exhausting.

Kali's Stitches

2009-09-12T16:42:00.005-06:00

After getting Abbi home from surgery and situated, I had to run Kaisey up to the doctors. So after filling Kaisey's prescription for croupe I stopped for pizza. As I'm pulling in the driveway Kaleb runs up to me and says, "Mom! Kali is REALLY hurt." I proceed to the neighbors house (thank you for taking care of Kali Anderson's!) I see this......
Yes...she covered her eyes the entire time. Kali climbed the basketball hoop at the neighbors and caught her leg on something on her way down. OUCH!
7 stitches later, and 12 hours of hospital/doctor/instacare for mom. Whew. Glad that day is over.

Abbi's Surgery

2009-09-12T10:00:00.001-06:00

Normally "popping and locking" are cool dance moves....but when it comes to your knee? Not so cool. Abbi had a bone spur growing on her knee which is basically a little bone growing off the big bone. She also had some swelling along with the popping and locking. So we had it removed today. After about 2 weeks she'll be as good as new. For the mean time, she has a leg brace and some crutches.

Keith Urban

2009-09-11T17:43:00.004-06:00

I've been to Keith Urban's concerts for the last 4 years. He is my BESTIE! If you've never seen one of his concerts he rocks. Literally. He ROCKS!

Trent didn't make it home in time, so Kaleb got to come with Abbi and I. He had to stand on the chair, and I had to hold him up the entire time. Keith ended up coming to the back of the arena about 20 yards from us. AWESOME! AND if that wasn't awesome enough....he then came out a second time on our row about 10 seats away from us. I shooed my kids as close to him as I could. If Abbi wanted to touch him she could have. I think he played for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

As if his concerts didn't rock like mad.....he's not bad on the eyes either...and thanks to Keith, Kaleb wants to learn to play the guitar. He thought he was super cool!

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-11T17:19:00.006-06:00

I think the husband's had the best time in Crystal Hot Springs. Here the men are playing Lasso Golf in their "stupid hats".
And here they are fetching the Lasso Golf Balls from the tree.

And here they are after the BIG BYU win.
Dave assuming his position.
Katrina following the little monkey's around.
Kaisey and Canyon floating in the hot pools. Canyon loved it...Kaisey not so much!Canyon's boogie blowout. Sick I know. But it was super funny.
My babies floating in our pool.

Back to School.....Again?

2009-09-02T10:07:00.005-06:00

Abbi and Kaleb were accepted into the Charter School yesterday. I had to come up with an answer by 4:00. I went to the school and talked with them.

Mom: "Kids you got into the Charter School!"

Abbi: "Yeah!"

Kaleb: "No mom!"

Mom: "But Kaleb....they have an awesome art program."

Kaleb: "No."

Mom: "Kaleb, they teach Spanish, and they have a music program."

Kaleb: "Miss Taylor already does that with me." (And it's true. She's a fantastic elementary teacher.)

Mom: "You'll get a longer summer...."

Kaleb: "Oh, ok!"

Kali however, did not get into the school this year. She is having a bit of a meltdown. We bought her a new Webkin in the middle of her meltdown, and hopefully it will help. She's gonna need a little more TLC.

So I then started the process to pull them out of school, and then had to run like crazy to find uniforms, new shoes, bows, etc. What a crazy crazy afternoon! I'm also thinking that I'm gonna end up with a list of things that they will need from the teachers....so more running today!

We rolled into the Charter School today to get registered and a few of the neighbor kids showed up for the "unveiling" of the teachers. Kaleb ended up getting into his good friend Alex's class, and Abbi ended up in the same class as her friends Alexis and Madison. What a good morning!

Abbi's MRI came back normal, and we are set to get her surgery next week. Hey Janet....what are your plans for next Friday? ;)

Crazy odds and ends.
I made Plaster Paris molds for Kaleb's class last week. One of my FAVORITE things to do when I was little. My mom would bring all the stuff to make, and paint when we'd go camping.
Stairs in the back finished. Thanks to Rockscapes! They did an fantastic job.

Baby Animals at the Zoo

2009-08-22T18:12:00.008-06:00

We went to the Zoo today. I couldn't believe all the new baby animals since our last visit. As we went past the elephant exhibit, there was a notice that there was a new baby elephant. Interesting fact: momma elephants are pregnant for 21 months and the baby was 251 lbs. I think I'd die if I had to be pregnant that long! We saw the baby giraffe.

New baby orangutan, followed by the new baby Meerkats (which I adore!)
Then Kaisey pointed out some new babies in the making.

I love the Red Panda. I think everything might be super adorable sleeping.

The "kids" tried on all the silly zoo hats.
This one ended up a keeper. For the love Trent.....

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

2009-08-18T08:21:00.006-06:00

Kaleb received another set of staples after Abbi accidentally whacked him in the head with the heavy duty outdoor broom. (The UGLY) She felt SO terrible that she came with us to the Instacare. Speaking of Abbi? (The BAD) She is also getting an MRI on her knee which has a growth on it. Her knee is swollen and puffy. After the Orthopedic Specialist rules out anything serious, they'll just go in and remove the growth....oh and speaking of Orthopedic Specialist? I now get to see him too. (More BAD) My toesies are going numb stemming back to my rolled ankle from an indoor soccer game 7 years ago. FOR THE LOVE!

After Kaisey downloaded a new ring tone for Trent (LOL) she did more of her butt dance. She does this EVERY time she hears the ice cream man, and almost everytime she hears music. She is very silly. (The GOOD)

How to throw a FANTASTIC Tea Party

2009-08-16T14:30:00.000-06:00

First you will need some adorable little guests. Then you will need some fabulous little hats to decorate

You obviously need some tea cups customized with each little party guests name on it.

You will also need some yummy little treats. I chose cupcake balls, fruit sugar cookies, and tasty mini hamburger treats and topped it off with some delicious homemade lemonade.

Put it all together and voila!

Happy Birthday my sweet Kali! How are we gonna top this one next year?

Happy 6th Kalyssa

2009-08-15T14:20:00.003-06:00

6 lbs 1 ounce 18 inches 3:15pm

Great Grandpa Barney

2009-08-14T14:54:00.005-06:00

Esther and Miles Barney along with Vick and Val (not sure which one's which.)
Grandpa Barney the jokester. I missed most of the funeral because I was chasing Kaisey all over creation. I did however witness the bat that was in the light trying to get out. Did you have a hand in that joke grandpa? Anyhow...I was very sad that I missed the funeral, and then I stayed in the car during the graveside service because I finally got the cranky baby to sleep. I began thinking of my own grandpa as well as Grandpa Barney. I noticed one of the Soldiers standing there, and realized that he had a bugle, and was going to play Taps. I thought to myself, "I hope I can hear him in the car." Only a few minutes after that...I heard a knocking on the driver side door. I wondered what it was, so I listened again. Sure enough I heard the knock again. I opened the door to see what was hitting the door. There wasn't anything there, however when I opened the door I realized that the bugle was playing. Take it how you will....but I believe it was Grandpa Jokester Barney.
Before the service Trent's cousin Mandy put together an envelope for the family to donate money if they wished to Grandma Barney. I went out to the car to get my checkbook, and Abbi wanted to come with me. She took $10 out of her wallet for Grandma. I'm so proud of her.

We love and miss you! I will always cherish the beautiful jewlery that you made just for me!

Kaisey kept going up to Grandma Barney and giving her lots of loves.

Baylee's Performance

2009-08-06T18:41:00.002-06:00

Trent and Abbi took a quick trip to Vegas for Baylee's recital. She did a FANTASTIC job! Baylee we are so proud of you! I'm sorry that the rest of us weren't able to make it.

Gram Great Strongs Gingerbread Cookies

2009-08-06T12:35:00.000-06:00

First try didn't turn out TOO bad. They weren't as soft and fluffy as Gram makes them. However they were DELISH! AND the kids had a fun time decorating them.

Newest Backyard Addition

2009-08-05T14:10:00.004-06:00

The arrival of our hot tub! Woot Woot! Only took seven men and one heavy duty trailer. Thanks to all those who helped us! BBQ and hot tub party as soon as we are up and running!

Dental Device

2009-08-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Now that my cutie patootie is in school ALL DAY LONG...AKA first grade, I had to put a stop to the thumb sucking.

A. For the sake of her teeth and pallet
B. For the sake of her social life
C. Mom is tired of asking her to stop (ok, so sometimes I don't ask nicely)

Kali was so upset when I told her that we were putting the device in her mouth. I of course feel terrible for doing it, but I think that it's the right thing to do. We can BARELY get a piece of floss in between those front teeth anymore. Kali almost cried and tells me that her friends will make fun of her for talking funny. I tell her that if they do then they really aren't her friends.

Dental assistant, "Kalyssa? What movie would you like to watch? Bolt, High School Musical 3...."
She didn't need to ask any further than that.

Kali begins watching HSM3 with the earphones and singing out loud.

Dr. Stevenson comes over and puts in her appliance. He then begins to explain to her (in the cutest way possible) that she is gonna talk kinda funny for a couple days.

"It's like a new pair of shoes. It feels funny for a couple days, but after that they feel great! AND your new "retainer" will make you so dang cool that all the kids will wish they had one." Dr Stevenson then tells her a story of when he was little and that he was so JEALOUS of another kid for something similar.

She walks out of that office as PROUD as PROUD can be. She can't say her S's very well...but other than that she's super happy.

Thanks Dr. Stevenson for making a potentially difficult situation AWESOME!

Back Yard Burial

2009-08-01T10:00:00.001-06:00

The kids are having a great time with the new GIANT sandbox. First they buried Charlie, and then Abbi got in on the fun until.....it was time to get ready for bed. Darn that year round school!

Binx and Meeko looking all pretty after their haircuts.

Uncle Kemp took this picture at Yuba last weekend. Isn't my little guy growing up too fast? And is that dandruff or is my scalp peeling?

Word To The Wise

2009-07-31T15:34:00.010-06:00

Recently I've had some new visitors to my blog. How cool is it that I've got views from different places like New York, Texas, Wisconsin and as far away as Sweden. WELCOME! However, I have had a few negative comments for sharing things that are important, personal, and pertinent to me. Please keep in mind this is my Journal. If I were to loose everything I own....I would still have these memories.

Then I was introduced to Sitemeter (Thanks Tallgrass). While I already had a Worldmap, I decided I'd check this thing out. I can see details about every visit. I can see who logs in, what page they come in on, what page they go out on, which of my friends blogs they look at, where they are located, even their IP address.

I highly recommend everyone add this to your blog.

Why I Blog

2009-07-30T10:41:00.000-06:00

"You will have significant experiences. I hope that you will write them down and keep a record of them, that you will read them from time to time and refresh your memory of those meaningful and significant things. Some may be funny. Some may be significant only to you. Some of them may be sacred and quietly beautiful. Some may build one upon another until they represent a lifetime of special experience." Gordon B. Hinckley, 2006

Will It Ever End?

2009-07-29T10:09:00.005-06:00

Backyard demolition almost complete. Rock wall...check. Sand....check.

The kiddo's couldn't wait to get back there and play. Trent has to fix the sprinklers, bring in the rocks steps, and then put the trampoline, and swing set back in and we are good to go. We also were lucky enough to score a free hot tub! Thanks to Ang's dad. Fire pit, and final curbing next summa.

Kaisey watched Meeko drink from the hose. A few minutes later she was following suit.

Meeko would hide in between the sod rolls, and Binx would try to find her. This went on until I went to get my camera, and then they all followed me up the stairs!

Kali's first REAL day of first grade with Faith, and then with Brenna.
Kali with her teacher.

School Already?

2009-07-27T10:40:00.005-06:00

Once again, it's the first day of School. Kali met her 1st grade teacher today, and then I got to bring her home. Tomorrow she'll be gone all day. She got the teacher that Kaleb had last year. Kali and Kaleb both think that's super cool.

I got this picture of Abbi and Katie. Abbi said, "Mooom!" Katie said, "I'm NOT gonna smile."
I wanted to get a picture of Kaleb. He said, "Mom. It's not a good time." I can't believe that my kids are growing up so fast.

Yuba

2009-07-27T09:48:00.011-06:00

We had a blast at Yuba Lake other than all the boat troubles. The kids LOVE to dig and play in the sand. AND of course bury themselves.

Trent holding all the little guys. Meeko, Kizzy and Kiko. Trent (my non-dog loving husband) said, "I'm glad we got another dog for Binx. Now he's not so bored." I was so overwhelmed with shock that it took me a few minutes before I really realized what he said. When I brought it up, he denied having said it.

Kali's hair before.....

and after.......

Kaisey kept us very busy.

We found her several times sitting in the water bucket we used to clean off our feet before entering the trailer.

I attempted to wake board. I'm really pretty ticked because I got up so darn easy last year. I think I tried for about 45 minutes to get up. I'm gonna blame it on the boat. :) I now have a massive bruise on my leg, and my forearms hurt like none other!

Kaisey learned how to say her name this weekend. It is the cutest thing ever!

Uncle Chet gave Kaleb a little guitar lesson until Ranger Rick came and shut the party down.

The very last day the kids decided to hang up the tube, and try to ski. This is Abbi. I am so proud of her!

AND.....the backyard wasn't finished when we got home. BLAHHH!

♪ Do Do Do Looking Out My Back Door ♪

2009-07-22T22:02:00.004-06:00

This is NOT what I expected to see out my back door 2 days later. But any time you plan something it NEVER goes smoothly right? I should have expected the unexpected. Anywho....this is what we look like today. The ~~mud~~ dirt wasn't dry enough...so that is our "new" delay.

So Kaleb has been such a stinker lately, that he has been chosen to help water the big sod rolls in our backyard. Today, he decided to squirt Abbi on the trampoline instead. She jumped off and tried to get away from him, and sprained her ankle. All I could hear was Abbi wailing, and Kaleb giggling as he continued to spray her while she was down. BOYS!

Back Yard Demolition

2009-07-20T13:52:00.007-06:00

The first thing that we did to our barren back yard, was add the lattice under the deck, and then we had the Curbman come redo our curbing in the front, and add curbing to the backyard. We made a spot for a garden. With Trent going to Indonesia, we were delayed, and the actual food in the garden will come next year.

We then had all the concrete poured. Trent and I constructed our new basketball hoop. That was a bit of a bugger!

Kaleb insisted on having the "first shot."
Baylee made the "second shot."

Then the kids played for a good hour while I attempted to give Kaisey a bath. She wouldn't go peacefully without her (which is MY) "Coke"(which is actually Diet Coke).

The next day, Trent had to move sprinklers, and cut the sod out. The next phase of our "Backyard Demolition" will be a rock retaining wall to contain our kids zone. I'm super excited to have a fun backyard.

The Grocery Game

2009-07-20T13:36:00.004-06:00

I really used to despise grocery shopping. Now it is SO much fun! Smith's Mix and Match, plus coupons (which ends tomorrow people) I spent $140.51 and saved $101.63. So I guess this means that I can go spend $100 bucks on whatever I want? Or does that defeat the purpose?

Not so wet Cement

2009-07-16T21:44:00.007-06:00

We are FINALLY landscaping our back yard. It was on my list of things to do and then we put the house up for sale....and now that we aren't going anywhere it's finally time! Here the guys are pouring a cement pad for our above ground pool/basketball court. Some of the neighbor kids came over to enjoy the show.

Now for the drama! We decided to let the kids put their hands in the other cement pad which will one day house our hot tub. Abbi had to leave to go to dance tryouts when Kaisey decided to go ahead and stick her little fingers in it. Then OF COURSE Kaleb decided it was time to stick his little hands wherever he felt like it...followed by Kalyssa. The guy quickly smoothed that over, and we attempted it a second time.

As you can see in this picture Trent had just barely finished with Kalyssa as Kaleb went ahead a second time and just stuck his stinkin little hand right back in the cement. I thought Trent was gonna come unglued. BOYS!

Now there isn't a picture of Abbi sticking her hand in because by the time she got home the cement was basically too dry to get a hand print in it. Abbi was DEVASTATED. The water works started. She decided to go throw a fit outside. When we checked on her, we noticed that she basically carved her little hand print right into the cement. Oh man...the girl drama is almost too much for me! Notice the print on the far right.

My Newest Obsession

2009-07-14T11:22:00.004-06:00

My newest obsession is the "coupon way" of shopping. I've never been a fan of it and that person with all those coupons in line in front of me really ticks me off. HOWEVER, now that I'm realizing that I can actually legally cheat the system, I'm finding it to be a fun game I can play. I've only just begun, but for my first shopping trip I think I did pretty well. I spent $77.72 and my coupon savings were $75.38. AND now I can send in my receipt and get a check for $10 back.

Our trip to the Living Aquarium. I think the octopus was the coolest thing ever.

I took Kaleb back up to Primary's for his post-op appointment, and on the way home, we decided to go to the Hogle Zoo. So of course I didn't have my camera. We went into the Desert Zone where Kaisey found the Meerkat. It would pace back and forth, and Kaisey would follow. We had our own little attraction going. People stood and watched and giggled.

Welcome Home Daddy

2009-07-06T13:41:00.005-06:00

Welcome home from Indonesia daddy! Abbi and her friend Aubrey helped me put the cups on the over-pass. I bought the cups too large...and I suffered some flesh wounds to my knuckles. Ouchie!
Then I made some Red Velvet Cake Balls in festive 4th of July.

Welcome home Daddy....to your new puppy. Happy Father's Day, and Happy Birthday. Oh wait...I guess that's more for me!

Welcome back to late-overs, and sleepovers.
Welcome back to Dr. appointments. (I had what's called a Derma Fibroma. It looked like a wart, but it was a skin cell build up. I just wanted that thing removed. It was ugly! This would be my first set of stitches EVER!)

Welcome back to reality daddy! We missed you and love you. Please don't go away again any time soon!

Kaleb's Surgery

2009-06-27T16:14:00.004-06:00

Kaleb had his Inguinal Right Hernia surgery yesterday. We arrived at 9:30, and made it home about 3:00. What an AWESOME hospital. This darling little nurse came to talk to him about surgery. She showed him a book, and talked to him about everything that was gonna happen. She even brought him a little doll to color, and take home.

He even got to play video games while he was waiting for his turn.

Kaleb kept throwing up after the surgery, so he had to stay a little longer than normal. Once we got home, he began putting together his new Star Wars Lego set which he picked out a week ago as his "surgery prize." He was such a brave little guy, and is doing very well today.

What have I done?

2009-06-23T12:45:00.003-06:00

As if having my husband gone for 2 1/2 weeks, dealing with sick kiddos, as well as a very very busy 1 year old wasn't enough.....I went and bought a new Shih Tzu puppy yesterday. Oh my heck. She is super duper adorable. I named her Meeko. She did fantastic her first night. She ALWAYS is wanting to be played with, which really isn't a problem at my house. I did however catch the kids putting Build-A-Bear clothes on her. It was pretty cute.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T21:42:00.008-06:00

Another one of Kaleb's crazy crafties.

Saturday while driving, that little tiny calm feeling/voice said "Amy, wait just a second." I listened. This girl with Nevada license plates and chatting on her cellphone went barreling through the intersection when she was in a turn only lane. I feel very blessed that I listened.

I made some DELISH little treats thanks to Bakerella for Father's Day. The unfortunate part, is that Kaisey refunded again this morning, so we didn't head out to see my dad, and having Trent gone, it looks like I'm gonna be eating myself sick! I LOVE me some treats!

My dad never got mad at me, but I knew when he was disappointed in me. He is a quiet man, until you get to know him, and then he's a jokester. He has such a kind heart. Ask any of the kids he coached on his West High Golf Team. He has and will do anything for me. I know I don't tell you how much you mean to me....but I LOVE you. You are the best daddy EVER!

To my sweetheart, I love you so much! You are an amazing daddy to our kids. I can't wait for the day that we can all be sealed together in the Temple for "time AND eternity"

Skype

2009-06-20T18:55:00.002-06:00

I just recently found out about something called skype. For those of you that don't know, it's basically a way to video phone call by using a webcam and microphone. I have been doing this with Trent for the past week. It's awesome. It's free to talk from skype to skype. So those of you having relatives or friends that live far away....this rocks!

Kaleb's baseball picture 2009.

Time for a break?

2009-06-17T23:10:00.005-06:00

I woke up to this. Kaleb apparently wanted to just "wake up ready" for his baseball game. What a hilarious little tyke!

Dance, soccer and baseball are finally done. I went to Kali's end of year program. Kali had a great Kindergarten experience. She absolutely LOVED Mrs. Tipton, and adored her teacher's assistant Miss Allen.
Then A track got out. I was ready for an AWESOME break from everything. Including my husband. Took him to the airport and was missing him from the moment he got out of the car. He went to Indonesia for the National Guard. To distract me, I did my craft of the month. Isn't it super cute?

Bought the kids a couple fun prizes. One of which was this doll stroller for Kaisey. Ummm..not really meant for you to ride in sweetheart.

So then it was a fun filled day at Primary Children's with Kaleb. First we went to visit the Surgeon who will be performing his Inguinal Right Hernia surgery. This is a (and I quote) "fairly common and easy surgery". If it's so "fairly common" why have I not heard of it before? Then we headed off to get Kaleb sedated for his MRI. He has been having way too many severe headaches. We already checked his eyes and they were fine. So the nurses prep him and start with his IV. I warned them that the last time they had a hard time getting it in. No different this time. It took them 3 tries. On the third try, once they finally got it in....it began to spurt blood all over the place. Kaleb was trying to be calm, but I could tell that he was a little concerned about loosing so much blood.

I got a call from the doctor this morning, and he said that the MRI looked good. "It's not a tuma." However, he does have a sinus infection that has settled in his head which is what is most likely causing the headaches. (How long has that bad boy been in there?) The doctor said that they would have never known that without the MRI. He will be on antibiotics for an extended amount of time and let's hope this will clear him up and take away those headaches.

Yipee...we get to go back up to Primary's in a couple weeks to finish up with Kaleb. I feel so grateful to have health insurance this time around.

Having Trent gone, I can handle. Going to Primary's for 6 hours this week, I can handle. Having water softener leak on carpet 3 times, I can handle. Having the employee who was supposed to fix my softener call in sick, I can handle. So why is it the centipede I had to kill in the basement that put me over the edge? I'm so ready for this day to be over. Where's my break?