Home Is Where We Want To Be

My family

2010-10-04T23:38:00.003-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything. So here's a quick run down. The newest addition to our family, Katy, is 9 1/2 months now. She is very determined to have and do what she wants. She has been my most attached child yet my most independent. It's a complete oxymoron, but apparently that's just the way is works. A few weeks after crawling around on her belly she decided she could move faster crawling on all fours but even that wasn't good enough. So in a three day time span she started crawling on all fours, pulling herself up to stand, and then stepping a few steps along the furniture. She is one determined girl. This was about three weeks ago and now for the first time today when she was standing she let go and stood for a few seconds on her own. I was so proud of her. She also waved for the first time today. She has kept me mighty busy these last nine months. So that's where I disappeared to. Rebeka was baptized in August and she makes Seth and I proud with her desire to feel the spirit. It really touches our hearts when she says to us, "Do you feel the Spirit, I do." Jacob loves his family so much and still at six years of age loves to be cuddled. He has a huge, soft heart it that little body of his. Jayson loves playing with his little sister and takes good care of her. He too is a big teddy bear and loves his hugs and kisses. James has stolen the spotlight from Jacob and is the new class clown. He loves to make people laugh and be so silly. He loves to play with his little sister and enjoys giving hugs and kisses. My sweetheart Seth enjoys doing all he can to serve me and loves to see me smile. He loves playing with the kids esp. when he gets to tickle them (which he does to all of us often :) ) He is my best friend and I love him so much. As for me I'm enjoying home school. I'm in my third year now and I truly enjoy watching my children grow. Our bond has been stronger and continues to grow. I enjoy my children and love them so much. They bring so much joy to my life. I am so grateful for my family and for their unconditional love. They truly are beautiful.

Almost There

2009-10-14T10:16:00.002-07:00

Well, we are officially two and a half weeks away from getting the keys to our house. I can hardly contain my excitement anymore. All that's left to be done is the front landscaping, countertops, carpet, and tile. We are in the midst of packing up our belongings and I'm trying to get it done quickly as Seth will not be here the week of the move. Yep, you heard me right. He will be out of town at a convention in Vegas with his boss. They are leaving on Monday and will be back around midnight Thursday night. He'll be working Friday, signing closing papers later in the day, then getting the keys either Friday night or I'll get them Saturday morning. Then later Saturday afternoon we will be moving in and then of course trick-or-treating that night. Busy, busy, busy! Ya, so that last week I'll be by myself with four kids and 31 weeks pregnant. What a ride! Speaking of which. My OB decided to keep my original due date of Dec 24 since the baby was measuring within two weeks. Oh, and it's a girl!

News

2009-08-03T14:20:00.002-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize it's been four months since my last post. Well, to update everyone we just bought a new house in Queen Creek at Skyline. It will be finished the end of October/beginning November. We're super excited to have our own home and not have to move anymore. Just so you know, we've moved six times in the almost eight years we've been married (which will be next month). That is way to many times and we are quite known for that. The other news we have to share is that we are going to have A GIRL!!! We are so excited since we currently have one girl and three boys. It's time for another girl. I'm due Dec 31st so maybe we'll have another Christmas baby.

Vinegar

2009-03-26T14:03:00.002-07:00

In my quest for going back to basics in my family's life I have stumbled upon vinegar. To some of you this isn't anything new, but for me it is so I'm going to share what I've found. There are so many uses for vinegar. I have been using this in our home for the last two weeks and let me tell you, I am absolutely amazed! Our clothes are cleaner and smell fresh. My dishes no longer have water spots on them and they're actually smooth to the touch. I add the vinegar to my water saver cycle before the main detergent cup opens. I haven't tried the first rinse cycle since I did not know I had more than one, but I like my result so I'm keeping it where it's at. I even mopped my floors (linoleum) with it today using 1/4 cup per gallon and my floor is smooth and shiny. It actually reflects the furniture on the floor. Crazy, I know! If you have tile or wood floors make sure it's safe to use. Research on-line or test an inconspicuous spot. Anyway, the list goes on and on. I love using it because it's natural and contains no chemicals and it's much cheaper. A gallon bottle is $2. Here are some web sites for you to check out.

http://www.vinegartips.com/
http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html#1

MIA

2009-03-18T23:26:00.002-07:00

For those who don't know we moved a few weeks ago back to ASU East. We're glad to be back and feel like we're home again. We do miss our friends from Gilbert and are grateful for facebook that allows us to stay in touch. It's been crazy, but we're finally settled in.

Tag, you're it!

2009-01-28T13:45:00.004-07:00

Ok, so there are many, many wonderful blogs out there, but sometimes you just need to highlight those that make you feel good about yourself. So what do you do, you make them feel good right back!

So, here's what you do:

1. From your list of blogs, pick 1 blogger that you know or knew from AZ.

2. Tell a 2-sentence brief history of where you know them and how.

3. Describe them and their blog in 3 cool words.

4. Tag 4 bloggers you know or knew from AZ.

5. Click on the featured blog below then comment to invite them to come see yours.

Ok, I'm picking Carla's Place from Carla Engstrom.

We met at Gateway Ward in Mesa. She lived a few houses down from me.

CLASSY, PASSIONATE, BEAUTIFUL

Ok, I'm tagging Courtney, Molly, Brandis, and Laurel.

Go on, make someone's day and tag them right back! :D

Christmas

2009-01-27T15:09:00.009-07:00

Well, we went to Thatcher for Christmas to be with Seth's family. We enjoy hanging out with them and we have loads of fun. This year, the kids and I met Seth's older brother Jared and his family. Jared calls us once in a while so it was nice to put a face to the name. They are an awesome family family and I really enjoyed getting to know them. For the first time my children were able to watch it snow and then have fun playing in it. It truly was a magical Christmas. Here are some pictures from our trip.

This was the view on the way up. Absolutely beautiful!

Here is a picture of James with snow in his hair.

This is our van getting snowed on.
(ignore the date)

This was our van the following morning.

This is the view from my mother-in-laws back porch.

For the First Time

2008-12-03T12:27:00.006-07:00

James had his first shopping trip without being in his car seat. Don't worry I sanitized the parts of the shopping cart he would be touching (I need to pull out my cart cover). This picture is of James before we left home.
Here he is chillin' in his seat.

Here are some pictures of our other children.

Lots of Fun

2008-12-03T11:03:00.010-07:00

Here are pictures of our yummy food, my aunt and uncle and grandparents, the children, and my brothers and sister.

Thanksgiving was a total blast. This was the first time I've hosted a party and I felt like it was a huge success. Everyone seemed to have fun, even the grandparents. Some of us played a game called, "You Might Be a Redneck if..." by Jeff Foxworthy. It was fun to see everyone laugh at the jokes. We had tons of awesome food with tons of leftovers that everyone took home. We're going to host the family Christmas party too since we'll be here for that, then we'll be up in Thatcher for Christmas with Seth's family. I'm excited to see how well the Christmas party at our house will go.

Getting Ready

2008-11-26T11:27:00.003-07:00

We normally have Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house with her side of the family but this year she is in Hawaii. So, we decided to have it at our place. It'll be a little cramped but we have enough couch space. I'm really excited which isn't like me. Normally I would be totally stressed about the house having to be cleaned and the food prepared, but this time it's different. My only explanation is that I've been doing pretty good at keeping the living room and kitchen clean so I only have to do touch ups and a little bit of clutter control. No one needs to go into the rest of the rooms so I don't need to worry about those. It's always been tradition to do a potluck, but this year I've gone all out. I don't know what others are bringing, but I want to be prepared just in case something gets left out. I have a turkey, two pies with whipped cream, three cans of cranberry sauce, all the paper products such as plates and cups, silverware, and two things of ice cream. I wanted to get rolls but I have a hard time buying things with MSG in them. I just can't justify that. So, hopefully someone will bring rolls. My sister usually brings dessert and my aunt and grandparents bring side dishes so we should be set. My brothers will be there too but they're not bringing anything. I'm totally excited for this and I'll let you know how it goes.

Jacob

2008-11-25T16:30:00.003-07:00

This is Jacob. He is the family clown and loves to be the center of attention. In most of his pictures he's goofing off. He must have been pretty tired after playing for me to get him with a straight face.

Boo-Boo's

2008-11-25T16:10:00.004-07:00

Jayson was running into his bedroom and tripped over the toys hitting his head on Rebeka's metal bed frame. Thankfully, the gash wasn't big enough for stitches but we still had to have it glued. He was so strong, holding very still for the doctor. He protected his "owie" for weeks. I had to convince him it was finally healed and we could touch his head in that spot again. He has a scar, but it's pretty light so it will most likely fade over time. He's such a strong and determined little boy.

Rebeka

2008-11-25T15:56:00.003-07:00

Wow, what can I say. My baby girl isn't a baby anymore.

James

2008-11-25T15:47:00.003-07:00

James is checking out his new sippy cup while wearing his new pajamas. He is a curious little boy.

About Us

2008-11-25T14:29:00.002-07:00

I guess I should tell you about our family before I make any more posts. Seth and I were married in the Mesa, Arizona Temple on September 22, 2001. We currently have four beautiful children ranging from ages 6 years to 11 months. We live in Gilbert, Arizona and we are enjoying the beautiful winter weather.

Speeding Up

2008-11-24T13:10:00.001-07:00

James is starting to crawl faster now and at times will try to get away from me. We make a game out of it and he really enjoys it. It's good for his motor skills too.