The journey has begun...

...or the adventure perhaps? We are officially embarking down the potty training road. I have been working with Logan for almost a year off and on. Back in Indiana I bought him a little potty seat. I would sit him on it every now and then. He was actually really good about it, and would go when I put him on it. I decided not to pursue it too much until after we moved so we could be settled in our new house first. Then, I was pregnant and never felt very motivated to crack down and get serious about it. I really wanted to have him trained before the baby was born,but that didn't happen. Here we are, one month away from Logan's third birthday, and I have to buckle down and get this kid trained!

So, this morning I decided to try a new approach. I had been having him sit to go, so I thought we would see if he could try standing up. I said "Logan, do you want to go shoot in the potty like daddy?" That got his attention and he was actually excited about it. So he stood on the stool, and I told him to shoot in the potty. Sure enough he did it! he was really excited about this new way, and so was I. I gave him the choice of wearing a diaper or his underpants, and he chose the underpants. I then took him to go shoot in the potty about every 20 minutes or so, and he was willing and excited to go every time. We gave high-fives, and I gave him some candy a few times after he went. I was good enough to get him there in time each time, and he didn't have any accidents. When it was nap time, I put him in a diaper, and gave him a break for a while. We started up again after he woke up and he wanted to show daddy how he could shoot in the potty. Again he chose to wear his underwear instead of a diaper. We played outside for a while and came in once to go shoot in the potty, and then when we came back inside, we went to go potty and then got a diaper on for bedtime. He was even starting to try and put his own pants on by himself which he hasn't done before. I hope this feeling of being a big boy lasts.

There is one thing we need to work on though. Before you read any further, I am warning you all that this may be TMI (too much info), so stop reading if you don't want to know. Now that I have peaked your curiosity, I will preface this by saying that I am recording this for posterity's sake. I am sure one day down the road, Logan will want to know what kinds of things he did when he was little, and this way I will be able to tell him.As well as his future wife. It may not be anything too shocking for any other potty training mom out there. Let me know if I am not alone. When he dribbled a bit down his leg, he stuck his finger in it and then.....guess what he did? He put it in his mouth! Sicko sick sick sick! No matter how much I kept telling him that we don't eat our pee pee, he kept doing it. I am so disgusted. This is definitely a fun adventure. I hope it is over soon!

I apologize for the disgusting-ness. Moms don't have a lot of other things to talk about except diapers, poop, snot, spit-up, etc. Oh the lives we lead.

I want a makeover

I really really want a makeover. I want to have someone (who is really cool) give me a new hairdo, new makeup regime, and pick me out some new clothes. I want to look really cute and stylish. I don't feel like I know how to look good anymore. I am in a mommy rut. Big time! I look back at pictures of me pre-children, and like what I see. I don't like what I see now. It's very depressing. I know the grass is always greener, but I feel like I would just feel better about myself if I felt more confident. Of course there is a lot I need to do to make this all happen, and that's why it is so depressing. I can do it myself, but it will take a lot of hard work, and discipline. How badly do I want it? Really really badly.

I will be turning 30 in just a few weeks (May 4th) and I don't want to enter my 30's as a big blob. So, my goal for my 30th year is to get out of my mommy rut, and get a makeover. By myself, yes, but nonetheless, a transformation of some kind.

I went walking this morning with our new walking group and now have a pedometer. My ankles and shins feel sore already! I am way out of shape! I just need to keep it up, and get into a habit of walking. It's so good for you in so many ways. And it's easy and free.

Holy cow! I was just re-reading this post and it hit me that I will be 30! I am speechless. I don't even know what to say. 30. Hmmm.....

And on a different note, April is Autism Awareness month. My friend Christy has a son with Autism, and she talks about it on her blog. Go check it out, leave a comment about how you heard about her blog (from me of course) and maybe you can win a prize!

Up till 1:30 a.m.!

Nope, it wasn't because of the kids! I was up late working on this beauty! It is an altered altoid tin and mini accordian album to fit inside! Isn't it sooo pickin cute? I had to make this sample to take to my Relief Society enrichment planning meeting tonight to show as a possible project for our Super Saturday. This might be a bit more elaborate with all the embellishments, but I got a bit carried away. I can tone it down for a Super Saturday project if we decide to do it. Now I need to figure out what pictures to put in it. I kinda like it all by itself though. I just like to look at it over and over. I get so pleased with myself when I finish a project like this and see how cute it turned out. You can see more photos in my SCS gallery. I never would have imagined I could make something like this 5 years ago! I didn't even know how to make cards! Now look at how far I have come. I am even a Stampin' Up! demonstrator! It's amazing what you can accomplish if you just work at it. I don't ever like to hear people say they aren't crafty, because they can be if they try. Trust me...I know!

This brings me to another topic on craftiness. I grew up with a wonderful mom who could sew anything for us...from dance costumes, to Halloween costumes, to Christmas stockings, Easter baskets, Quiet books, church tote bags, blankets, etc. She tried so hard to teach me to sew, and she did help me make a dress, a skirt, and a few tied quilts for boys I was dating. I just couldn't ever catch the desire to really learn though. Fast forward to November 2006. Just 5 months ago, I all of a sudden had an intense desire to purchase a sewing machine and start making things. Baby things to be exact. Blankets and burp cloths to be exact. Those are pretty much straight lines. I also wanted to make a quiet book. A little more complex. I managed to make my first baby blanket and burp cloth for a gift for my friend Gigi who was due a week before me with a little girl.

While I know this was far from perfect, I was proud of myself for making it. It was such an accomplishment for me! I never did make one for my own baby, but I will.

So, the other day I get a package in the mail. Or rather Avery did. It was a baby gift from Gigi.

It is a darling rag quilt! Now I feel a bit embarrassed by my horendous sewing job, but nevertheless, I am inspired now to learn to make a rag quilt. I used to have the mind set that this was way too hard for me to do, but now I am thinking it can be done! Also, a while back I boxed up about a million old t-shirts from High School and college and other things that I coulodn't bear to throw away, but obviously don't wear anymore. I came up with the brilliant idea of turning them into a t-shirt quilt! Now how clever am I? Apparently not very, because someone else came up with the idea first. I just hadn't heard of one before. So, now that I am feeling like my domestic goddess has been unleashed, I want to make a t-shirt quilt as well. I found some info online with directions.

And, last but not least. My very next project I want to attempt is a baby sling. I had been looking at this website to possibly order one, but now feel inspired to make my own. We shall see!

Well, that's my crafting desire for the future anyhow. May the craftiness be with you!

Easter!

My sister sent Avery an Easter dress to match her little girl Brynn. Brynn is 3. She is just 4 months older than Logan. I wish we could have actually been together for Easter. I had my sister email me a picture of Brynn in her dress so I could post the matching cousins on my blog! They are so cute! Avery loves wearing dresses. She holds the skirt like she is a princess. I think she knows she is pretty in a dress. The only thing I have discovered about cute dresses on babies is that it makes them slippery. It's so hard to hold them!

We had a nice Easter. Tony's family didn't really celebrate Easter with the Easter bunny. Mine did. So it is hard to get Tony excited about that aspect of the holiday. It makes it hard for me to be the only one to prepare and impart the excitement to Logan. I know Easter is more about the Savior and the Atonement and Resurrection, but I think you can teach the true meaning of Easter, and still enjoy the secular aspect of it. We do it at Christmas, why not be able to seperate it now as well? I have made it a point for the Easter Bunny to include some church related items in the Easter baskets to help us remember. This year I received this book in my basket. We also got The Testaments DVD. Logan got The Scripture Scouts and the picture version of The Book of Mormon. We listened to The Scripture Scouts when we were little and we loved them! I hope he does too. Of course there were also plastic eggs full of candy and some other little toys for Logan. All in all, I think he was happy with his Easter.

For dinner I made the usual ham. I made it in the crockpot again,and I am totally sold on this method. It is soooo easy, and the ham is sooo yummy. It is really tender, and just falls apart. I had a 4 or 5 pound half ham with no bone. I just plopped it in the crockpot and turned it on low for 8-10 hours. You don't need to add anything else to it. Really, you should all try it. You will love it this way.

I also made red potatoes with a lemon dill butter, roasted asparagus, and glazed carrots. It was a pretty simple meal, but so good. I was happy. I will share the recipes for the carrots and asparagus.

Glazed Carrots

1 bag baby carrots

2 Tbls. butter

2 Tbls. brown sugar

2 Tbls. orange juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Add the carrots; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.

Roasted Asparagus

1-2 ibs. asparagus, washed and ends trimmed

2 Tbls. olive oil

1-2 Tbls. soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Mix oil and soy sauce and pour onto baking sheet with edges. Roll asparagus in the oil mixture to coat. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

* I actually have another recipe that is similar. Instead of soy sauce it uses balsamic vinegar. It also has 1 tsp. minced garlic. This one says to cook at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. I used the soy sauce for Easter dinner, but still included the garlic. It is sooo good, and I will always cook asparagus this way from now on.Yummy!

So, that was my yummy Easter dinner. Too bad Logan didn't eat any of it. He had a banana. Poor kid. he doesn't know what he is missing!

Here is a picture of Logan and Avery together Sunday afternoon. Avery was not in her dress anymore, and Logan wouldn't smile normal for the camera, so this is the best I could get of my two kids together on Easter.

I am on a mission

I have to collect all of these Happy Meal toys! My mom called me the other day all excited about them and told me I had to go get Avery a Happy Meal. She kept going on and on about how cute they are. And since I do live in Kansas, I just must have them. So far I have four of the 8. I have the lion, the tin man, the wicked witch of the west and the wicked witch of the east. I still need Dorothy, the scarecrow, Glinda the good witch, and someone named Daisy. Do you remember Daisy in the Wizard of Oz? Was she a munchkin? I have no clue, but I still need her! Anyway...I am terrified I won't get them all before they are gone. I learned that you can buy the Happy Meal toy for like $1 or something without having to get the actual happy meal. So, if anyone happens to get any of the ones I am missing, let me know! I might need you to go get extras for me! The good thing is there are McDonald's on like every corner where I live. But I was in Wal-Mart last night and the McD's inside said they were all sold out! Yikes!

I think we will be eating a lot of Happy Meals!

*** Update!!! I just got two more! I now have the scarecrow and Daisy Munchkin. I just need Dorothy and Glinda and I am good to go!

My Playlist

I have become addicted to this playlist thing! It is soooo much fun finding songs. My playlist is soooo random, but every song brings back a memory of a different time in my life. You will have to push play yourself to start it. I hope you all find a song that takes you back as well! Enjoy! And leave me a comment on any of the songs on here...I would love to know if we share any of the same memories!

Logan, oh Logan...you crack me up!

So, I unfortunately didn't get much out of General Conference today. Logan was possessed by the "scream at the top of your lungs" bug. Everything he needed to say required being said at top volume. It was insane. Besides that, he seemed really, really hyper. Between being annoyed with him for being so crazy, we also had to laugh at him because he was so pickin funny!

He decided to put on several performances while standing on the fireplace. "I am a Child of God" was one of the favorites. " Lead me guide me....Teach me all that ho must do " He also performed "Pabbacake, pabbacake, baker's man". That was funny. Pabbacake!

After he had stripped himself of his clothing,he informed me that he had a tummy button.

The other day, Tony had gone upstairs and Logan was not happy with that. He went running after him yelling"Daddy, come back! I want to play with you, cause you are my pet!"

Even though I barely heard a word of conference, I have felt an extreme amount of love and pride in my children. I have just been marveling at Logan's personality, and how he is developing. It's so fun to watch him grow, and learn, and see how he understands things. And Avery of course is growing like weed! She is already 8 weeks old! She is so sweet, and such a good baby. I love to just sit and talk to her, and hear her goo and coo and smile so big! I was doing this last night, and Logan decided to talk to her too. In the process, Avery started to drool a bit down her chin. Logan said "uh oh, mommy she's dripping."

Children are such a blessing. Even though there are times that don't seem like it, I know that my children have definitely brightened my life. I laugh every day because of them, and smile all the time. Who couldn't be happy when tiny arms wrap around your neck and little juicy kisses are planted on your cheek? And when you say " I love you" and you hear "I wuv you" back. It's so sweet!

I love my family, and I am grateful for them each and every day. It is such a comfort to me to know that families are forever, and we can be together with our loved ones for eternity. At this Easter time of year, it is nice to reflect on the Savior's Atonement, and the blessings it brings to our lives.

Look what I got today!

We took a walk in the stroller today to get the mail (the mailbox is half-way up the street) and look what we got! The cute hair bow from Kayli! I was so excited, I opened it and put it on her in the stroller right away. Then I took her picure, but she doesn't know how to look at me and say "cheese" yet. Anyway, thanks Kayli! It is really cute! We love it!







So, this is what I got to do this afternoon while the kids were napping. I made my cards for the card exchange, and played around with some others. I made the Birthday card for the card exchange. I wanted to use the bright colors, so I played around with this and came up with this card. It isn't my usual style, so I am not 100% pleased with it, but I do like it. It is bright and cheery. The other cards are more my style, so I like them better. It's more me. I want to make more in different colors. I am going to go crazy making all the same card in many different color combinations. It's been a while since I have been able to sit down and create. I had fun.

Well, it is storming once again, so we will see if I get any sleep tonight. I hope we are safe! I was talking to my neighbor the other day about tornados, and she told me that I should be more worried about lightning than tornados. She said that they rarely touch down in the cities...it has something to do with the electricity or something like that. I am willing to believe it if it helps me feel more safe and calm about tornados. So, I guess I won't stay outside in a lightning storm.

Avery's Blessing Day

What a week-end it has been! It started of Thursday evening with my parents and my grandma flying in. Friday afternoon, Tony's parents drove in. My parents slept in my stamp room, Tony's parents slept in Avery's room, and Grandma Avery slept in Logan's room. Logan and Avery slept in our room with Tony, and I slept on the couch! I actually slept much better there than I would if I had stayed in my bed. Not that I could because Logan commandeered my pillow, as well as my side of the bed, so it left me no other choice. We had actually gotten Logan his very own Lightning McQueen bed to sleep in, but he preferred our bed after a while.

Saturday, I ran some errands with my mom and left the baby home with Grandma Black, and Great Grandma Avery. Logan supervised my dad and FIL fixing the hole in our driveway. They broke up the broken concrete, and then filled in the hole with cement. I am lucky to have handy-men for fathers...and a husband as well! Saturday evening we all went out to dinner for some Kansas City Barbecue. It was Avery's first time going out to dinner! She was lucky to have many hands to hold her, and she was very good.

Sunday was a beautiful day, just like I was hoping for! It was 78 degrees! I think Avery knew it was her special day, because she was so happy and smiley all morning before church. I think she was excited to get dressed up all pretty in her beautiful white dress. She was so pretty. Tony did a good job giving her blessing. He said some very wonderful things. My grandma wrote some things down, but I am afraid I threw the paper away on accident. I am a bit worried now. I hope I can find it. He blessed her to develop normally, to be close to her mother, and be able to confide in her, and to develop a strong testimony of the gospel and especially of Joseph Smith. Avery was so good during the whole thing, and didn't even make a peep. I think she liked being held and getting all that attention. She is a social little thing already! The men in the blessing circle consisted of Tony, Grandpa Bowden(my dad), Grandpa Black (Tony's dad), Brother Drake (in the bishopric) and President Giles (Elder's Quorum president). After church, we all came home to have our pink dinner. I say pink, because my mom helped me decorate the table all in pink! We had a pink tablecloth and napkins, and pink tulle bows tied around the backs of the chairs. The napkins had pink flowers tied around them as napkin rings. The centerpiece was a vase of pink and white tulips and snapdragons. It was so pretty, and of course I didn't get a picture of it. My mom did though, so I hope she sends me a copy. We had ham, baked potatoes, layered salad, rolls, and Pavlova for dessert. It was yummy.

Monday we hung around and enjoyed the beautiful weather and each other before the grandparents had to leave. My dad and FIL moved the swingset out of the mud pit and onto the grass. I like it much better now. I never wanted to let Logan play on the swingset because of the dirt and mud. My dad also helped Logan catch butterflies in his new butterfly net that my mom got for him. He was sooo excited to actually catch one! My dad helped him, but then it flew away. We were surprised to even see one in the first place. Tony's parents left around 3:30, and then my parents flight left at 7. Grandma Avery left today, so we got to spend a little more time with her. It was nice. She and Logan both had red "kajmmies", so we had to get a picture of them in them. Grandma is little enought that she could sit by Logan on his little blue couch. So cute! We were so glad she could be here. She is a sweet grandma, and we love her very much.

Craziness!

Today my parents and my grandma are flying in. I have to go pick them up at the airport later today.So, as you can imagine, I have been trying to get some house cleaning done, to get ready for them. Tony's parents are coming tomorrow.

I hardly got any sleep last night. I had an enrichment board meeting and I didn't get home until 9. i then had to feed my starving baby and put her to bed. That took an hour. At 10 pm, I got online to send out some emails, and type up some notes from our meeting while it was fresh in my head. At 11, Logan woke up crying. Tony had already gone to bed, so I had to go put Logan back in bed. I was then up until 12 finishing my email stuff. My ear has been hurting for who knows why, so I couldn't fall asleep right away. I am not sure if I was ever asleep or not, but around 1:15, Logan woke up crying again. I put him back to bed again. Again, not sure if I had really slept, but around 3:30, Logan woke up crying again. This time I asked Tony if he could take care of him. Just when I thought I could snuggle back down in my covers, Avery decided to wake up. So, of course I had to feed her and put her back to bed. By this time it was 4:30 a.m. I managed to sleep this time, I am pretty sure because I remember dreaming. Tony got up to get ready for work, and while he was in the shower, Avery woke up again. This was a little after 7 a.m. I fed her, and put her back to sleep by around 7:45. No sooner had I layed her back down in her crib that I heard Logan waking up. He was a soggy bottom boy, and it had leaked out and wet the bed, so i had to change his clothes, and strip the bed. that was ok because I was going to have to do it anyway to get ready for my grandma to sleep there. I managed to convince Logan to come lay by me for a while. That lasted about 10 minutes. Then it was downstairs to have breakfast and watch Peter Pan. I was able to go back to bed for about an hour or so while Peter Pan was on. Then Cinderella was next.I couldn't sleep anymore this time, so I was finally up at around 9:40 a.m. I had just barely finished my cereal when Avery was awake again for her breakfast. No breaks for me!

I have managed to vacuum, clean my room and the kids rooms, do a load of laundry, tidy up the kitchen, do a load of dishes, put together the dinner for tonight so it is ready to pop in the oven later on, make a jello salad to set in the fridge for tonight, clean out a few items from the fridge, feed myself and the kids, and put them down for naps. Logan didn't sleep for long as he is sick and has been crying all afternoon. He is now watching Peter Pan again with his pillow and blankie. Avery is happy in her bouncy seat for the moment, so I have a break to blog about my crazy day.

I have an hour and a half to finish some odds and ends before I have to go to the airport. I am excited to have family coming. They can tend the kids and I can have some breaks. This week-end won't be long enough! I just hope that Logan feels better tomorrow, and that Avery won't get sick, and neither will anyone else. I am also crossing my fingers and hoping for a nice spring day on Sunday for Avery's blessing. The forecast isn't always acuurate, you know.

Boy am I tired!

The past few days have really given me a taste of what being a Mother is all about. Tony has been out of commission, so I have had to take care of Logan, Avery and Tony all at once! I haven't even been able to do much for myself until now. The other night I didn't even get a chance to eat dinner until almost 10 p.m.! If it wasn't one person, it was another! And then of course, both kids woke up at the same time at 4:40 in the morning, so I had to take care of them both by myself. Now, I know this may not sound unusual for a mother of 2, but when Tony was unable to get out of bed to help in any way, it was a lot harder! Today was the 4th day of this and I am exhausted! Tony is feeling better, and able to help a bit more, but still not much. I don't know how single mothers do it, but I am soooo grateful that I don't have to deal with this all on my own on a regular basis.

We didn't go to church today because I didn't think I could handle 3 hours of church on my own with the kids. I knew I could sit by someone who would be willing to occupy Logan in case I needed to step out with the baby, but the thought of juggling the diaper bag, car seat, 2 yearold and baby was making me tired. Plus, Logan has had a stuffy nose for a while and I thought I better keep him home from nursery just in case he is sick. I did toy with the idea of just dropping Logan off for nursery and then going back to pick him up after church. Ok, I know that wasn't wise, but still very tempting.

Logan is still funny with Avery. Some times he is very good and sweet with her, and other times he is so mean! He insists on screaming "da bee doh" really loud in her ear when she is sleeping. That is deserving of time out. He has been there a few times now because of it. he also tells me " I want to eat her and drink her and kiss her". Today we were laying on the floor on each side of Avery, just talking to her and being cute. I was distracted for a second only to realize that he had poked her in the face and made her cry, and once I calmed her down from that, he had her hand in his mouth and bit her. She didn't really cry that time, so he must not have bit her too hard, but she did make a sad face. Mean brother! But he does try to pick her up and bundle her in her blanket when she is crying. So helpful....

And now for my song choice for the day. I chose "Adiemus" because it reminds me of my BYU Folk Dance days. I will always think of watching fireworks each night after our performance at the Folk Dance Festival in Drummondville, Canada. That will be my first memory when I hear this song. I love it for the memories as well as the song itself.

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

So, Logan has been saying this lately. I had no idea where he learned it, so I asked him. He told me daddy sang it to him on his horn. What???? Where does he come up with these things? So, I asked Tony later if he sang that to Logan, and Tony said he didn't even know what it was. Well, we were watching tv later on, and there is a commercial that sings that Happy Happy Joy Joy song. So, we determined that he must have heard it from the tv, but there is nothing about daddy and a horn.

Anyway...this is how I am feeling these days anyway. The weather was soooo nice again today. 80 degrees! We met some friends at the park this morning to get out and enjoy it. We came home briefly for lunch, and then I dropped Logan off at a friends house and I went to my doctor appoinment for my 6 week check-up. I can't believe that it has already been 6 weeks! Time sure flies! I now have the green light to exercise, so I am whipping out my new Pilates DVD so I can get my biscuit in shape! (I just read in a magazine at the doctor's office that when asked how Jennifer Garner lost the baby weight, she replied by saying she got her biscuit on the treadmill like everybody else. I thought that was funny, so I am going to adopt that word now.)

It's amazing what a beautiful spring day can do for your sanity. Growing up in San Diego, beautiful spring days were the norm, so I guess I took them for granted. Now after having lived through 5 Utah winters, 5 Indiana winters, and now 1 Kansas winter, you better believe I am anxiously waiting for these beautiful spring days just like everyone else! my nurse today had bright pink nail polish on, and it made me want to go buy some fun new color to paint my toes!

Well, I better get dinner ready while the kidlets are napping!

My song for the day is "Forever and Always" by Shania Twain. This song makes me happy, and makes me think of sunny, breezy, happy days with my family (Tony, Logan, and Avery).

I am boring, but happy!

I really am I think. I did discover how to add a counter to my blog, and a song as well! I wanted something pretty and relaxing, but I chose this instead. This was seriously my favorite song in High School at one point. I went on a trip to Disneyland with some friends and made them listen to it over and over almost the whole way. I am surprised they didn't throw me out of the car!

Anyway...there is No Rain today, and I am loving the Spring weather! Yesterday Logan told me the Spring was looking at me. Hmmm...maybe it is impacting me? For the good I must say! Bring it on! I am feeling good. My baby sleeps all night, so I am getting plenty of rest. My parents, Tony's parents, Tony's sister and daughter, and my grandma are all coming next week-end for Avery's blessing. I am happy for company! I bought a bright cheery rug for the front door, and I am getting really excited about buying a hanging flower basket for the front door as well.

While I do have a sink full of dirty dishes, I am feeling rather chipper today and I love it. I might stamp, or something! Actually, I need to write thank you cards instead. I better not put it off any longer!

Happy Spring! Let's hope it is here to stay!

What Did You Do All Day?

I love this! I have read this before, but came across it again today. I had to post it on my blog because I think it is hilarious.

What Did You Do All Day?

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still In their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"

She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?"

"Yes," was his incredulous reply.

She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

Service, phones, baby girl and dinner

Wow! This week has started off very interesting. We will see how it ends!

I spent Monday and Tuesday getting all the last minute things ready for my very first Enrichment meeting as the enrichment leader. Tuesday night we had our meeting to celebrate the Relief Society Birthday and had a service auction. We were able to get an auctioneer to volunteer to do it for us, and it was a big hit. The women really had a good time, and they all want to do it again next year. It was a really good turn-out, and we ended up having about 58 services donated, so everyone was able to get something.I ended up donating 4 items. A card tote with about 10 birthday cards, a covered notebook and matching pen, a time to come stamp and make cards with me, and a lunch date with me. Now I have to start planning the rest of the activities and meetings for the year. It's fun though. I really enjoy planning events. Tonight I have a meeting with two other enrichment leaders to brainstorm ideas for a Super Saturday activity in July. Feel free to leave me any ideas in my comments...by tonight!

(Here's the card tote I donated for the service auction.)

So...Tuesday morning I went to make some phone calls about enrichment, and lo and behold my phone didn't work! The neighbors are having sprinklers installed, so they did something to our line. The phone company didn't come until yesterday morning to fix it. Our line had been cut in several places apparently.Our phone does work now, but I had to go 24 hours without it! And I was without internet as well for that long! Yikes! I guess it was a good thing though, because then I didn't spend my time online instead of getting ready for my activity!

Last night I fed Avery at 9 p.m. and she didn't wake up to eat in the night! I woke up at 6 and woke her up because I was a bit sore. What a great night's sleep we all got! I love it! What a good baby! I love her! She will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. She seems so much bigger than that already. We are blessing her on March 25th, and expect to have quite a few family here for it. I didn't expect it at all, but it seems we might have a houseful. Both my parents and Tony's parents are coming for sure, and we just got a call from Tony's sister last night saying that she is coming with her little girl. My sister and her little girl might come, and my grandma Avery might come. That will be nice to have Avery's Great-Grandma Avery be here...after all, she is her namesake. So...now I need to think about how to accomodate all our company, and what to feed that many people! Yikes! But I am excited to have all that company. You all know how sad I am to be away from family, so I am really excited to have them all come. I ordered her blessing dress the other day. I did like some others that were a little fancier, but I couldn't justify spending any more money. She will be so pretty!

I better go and try to be productive today. By the way...I have to mention again how much I am loving the menus4moms website! It takes the dinner stress away completely! I love it! Yesterday I cooked a ham in the crockpot! Who knew? It was so tender and yummy! I never would have thought of making ham for dinner on an ordinary day. I always think of ham for easter, or New Year's or Christmas or something. Not just dinner on a Wednesday. I love it! If planning and making dinner is a stress for any of you, you have got to try this site! It's the best!

Pet Peeves

I have two pet peeves that I can instantly think of. The first is about milk. I cannot stand milk being left out for longer than it takes to pour it in your glass, cereal bowl, or measuring cup. I don't know why I am so uptight about it, but I am. I cannot stand the thought of warm milk! It is sick and wrong. Like people who put the milk jug on the table and leave it there during the meal. I can't take it! Even if I am not the one drinking it, I cannot let milk sit out. Maybe it stems back to my childhood days of visiting my grandparents on my mom's side (Grandma and Grandpa Avery) who had milk cows. I remember the barn and the certain smell it had of milk straight from the cow. I also have very vivid memories of watching my grandpa eat his cereal using milk that he just brought in from the barn. I recall tasting it too, and being repulsed. That must be an acquired taste, and one that I do not wish to have. Maybe this is why I am not a huge milk drinker.

Well, just a while ago, Logan came in the room drinking out of a sippy cup.I didn't think anything of it until he brought it to me saying he wanted more milk. I looked at this cup and was very confused about where he had gotten it since I know I hadn't given him any milk today. Well, I then realized it was his milk from dinner last night! He had taken it in the other room and we never noticed! Gross! Sick! Nasty! He better not get sick from it. Oh disgusting...I might puke myself.

The other pet peeve I have is when perfect strangers call me "hun", "sweetie", or any other term of endearment. Excuse me, but do I know you? It drives me nuts.We went out to dinner to Texas Roadhouse before Avery was born, and the waitress kept calling Tony"hun". Ummm...hello? He is with his pregnant wife and child! Don't you be calling him "hun"!

Anyway...there you have it. Let's hear yours!

There's no place like home!

And it's not Kansas I am referring to! I HATE tornado weather! It scares me to pieces! I have serious anxiety, panic, heart, and whatever other kind of attacks you can have. I used to love thunder storms. I remember watching the lightning with my dad from our living room window when I was young. I also remember how much I loved the thunder storms in Utah when I was at BYU. For some reason, my favorite was listening to the soundtrack from "Last of the Mohicans" during a thunderstorm in Provo. Loved it! I would even open the windows sometimes to listen to the rain. My innocent thunderstorm loving days are over!

Ever since we lived in Indiana, and now Kansas, I cannot enjoy a thunderstorm without an intense fear that there will be a tornado. I am constantly terrified! I can't sleep at all during a storm now. It is 11:40 p.m. currently, and everyone else in my house is asleep except for me. It is hailing right now...big hail too!
It is so loud! It sounds like someone is dumping huge bags of marbles on my house.I hate it! Wow! It's soooo loud! I just went upstairs to check on the kids, and Logan was wide awake. I took him in my room and put him in bed with Tony for now. I think the sever storms are supposed to be over soon, but it will be raining with thinder and lightning all night. Just no more hail, and no tornados...so they say. It's just so darn loud! I am not going to get any sleep tonight.

The crazy thing is that this afternoon was sooo beautiful...it was 71 degrees! We totally went for a walk and played outside. And now this. I think it is supposed to be 38 degrees tomorrow. Crazy. Give me my warm, sunny San Diego any day! There's no place like that home!

Ramblings on my week so far

Just a few thoughts about my week....

My baby girl is awesome! She consistently goes about 6-7 hours between feedings at night. It makes such a difference to be able to be a bit more rested. Last night I fed her at 9:30, and she didn't wake up until almost 5 a.m.! I have gotten into the habit of waking up around 4-ish, and it almost makes me worried when she has't woken up yet. This time around I am not as paranoid as I was with Logan, and I just enjoy my sleep while I can! She is a big girl, and I know she isn't starving, so it doesn't worry me that she sleeps so well at night at this early of an age. She will be 1 month (4 weeks) old on Friday. I can't believe how fast time flies!

I have started using a website called menus4moms. I have already made 3 meals this week from it, and it has been great! The meals are good, and easy to make. They are also usually something that I will eat too...nothing weird or strange sounding. I love that it has the grocery list, and all the menus as well. I feel like this could be a huge time-saver for me. I love to look through recipes, but I have a really hard time narrowing it down, and choosing side dishes as well. I am hoping this will help me save money at the store, and help me prepare more well-rounded meals as well.

So, the other day Logan went to mutual with Tony. They went to the mall for a mall scavenger hunt. I had an enrichment board meeting, so I took Avery with me to that. One of the boys gave Logan a little red plastic duck. Well, Logan has named his duck Chuppy. I have no idea where he came up with that name, but it is funny. So, last night at dinner, Tony was holding Avery to keep her from fussing. He was talking to her and asking her if she was chubby, and if she had chubby cheeks. Tony asked Logan if Avery was chubby. Apparently Logan had a different idea. He said, "Chuppy? Is she a duck?" It was hilarious. Of course we all laughed about that one.He is a funny kid these days. His latest thing has been to throw things down the basement stairs,usually via the cat door, but sometimes he opens the door to throw things down. The past few days he has taken off one sock to throw down the stairs. Only one sock...not both. I have no idea...whatever floats his boat I guess.Who knows what goes on in the mind of a 2 1/2 year old?

We have Avery's blessing planned for the 25th of March. Both my parents and Tony's parents are planning on coming. My sister wants to come as well, so we will see if she is able to. It will be nice to have company again. I love to have people around to talk to. It gets a bit lonely during the day with just me and the kids, and no family to visit with. Again, I have to comment on how much I don't enjoy being so far from family.

I guess that's all for now!

First Day at Church

Today was Avery's first day at church! It was so fun to dress her all cute in her little dress, and her cute headband. She had tights on too...but they were so baggy, it was cute! Of course I had to take her picture in her church clothes. She is just too cute! It is fun to have a girl to dress up! We love her!

Poll: Strollers

So, I really need to get a double stroller. With Spring right around the corner, I am getting the itch to go for walks. Of course I will have to do this with 2 kids, so I really need to get myself some kid transportation. I am in a bind because I am not sure the best route to go in the double stroller department. I am hoping to get some input from moms of several kids, and even anyone else who has an opinion!

#1. option. The standard front/ back type double stroller. My thoughts on this are that it is narrow enough to maneuver in the stores, and both seats recline, for napping purposes.

#2. option.The sit and stand stroller. We have tried it out in the store and Logan really enjoyed sitting on the platform. The only drawbacks, are that the normal stroller seat doesn't recline except like an inch, and if Logan gets tired, he can't lay down to nap. But I have heard great reviews for this version.

#3 option. The side by side. I am not leaning towards this one at all, but would still like input. I just know it can be difficult to maneuver in the mall stores, and I don't know if I want Logan to be able to easily access the baby that way.

I would love everyone's advice, since I am having a really hard time making a decision!
* Just a note to add that the links I provided aren't necessarily the brands I am leaning towards. Just examples!