I do enjoy blogging. I just haven't had much time lately. We've been really busy just hanging in there. Then, as if things weren't crazy enough, I smashed 3 fingers in the garage door last week and broke my ring finger on my right hand. Yes, OUCH!! I must have been distracted or something because I can't exactly recall how it happened. I remember pulling the door down and then my fingers were hurting. I looked at my hand & it was stuck in the 1st fold of the door. I had to push the door back up to get my fingers out. This is my 1st experience with a broken bone. I hope it's my last. The doctor told me not to use my right hand if at all possible, but if I need to use my right hand, I should not move my middle or ring finger. The finger broke all the way through at the tip and the doctor is concerned that if I don't rest it, the bone won't heal & I will have to have a pin placed in the tip to make the nerve endings re-attach properly.
I'm discovering how right handed I am. I can't write at all with my left hand!! I can type though! It's tough to make meals, do dishes, clean house, and fold laundry with one hand. That is why my bedroom is covered in piles of clothes!! At least I got the dishes done! I can still enjoy camping, though it takes a lot longer to get ready to go anywhere when 1 parent (Brian) has to do all the work. Below are pictures from our weekend at Arches National Park. It was alot of fun & the arches are so beautiful!
I do enjoy blogging. I just haven't had much time lately. We've been really busy just hanging in there. Then, as if things weren't crazy enough, I smashed 3 fingers in the garage door last week and broke my ring finger on my right hand. Yes, OUCH!! I must have been distracted or something because I can't exactly recall how it happened. I remember pulling the door down and then my fingers were hurting. I looked at my hand & it was stuck in the 1st fold of the door. I had to push the door back up to get my fingers out. This is my 1st experience with a broken bone. I hope it's my last. The doctor told me not to use my right hand if at all possible, but if I need to use my right hand, I should not move my middle or ring finger. The finger broke all the way through at the tip and the doctor is concerned that if I don't rest it, the bone won't heal & I will have to have a pin placed in the tip to make the nerve endings re-attach properly.
I'm discovering how right handed I am. I can't write at all with my left hand!! I can type though! It's tough to make meals, do dishes, clean house, and fold laundry with one hand. That is why my bedroom is covered in piles of clothes!! At least I got the dishes done! I can still enjoy camping, though it takes a lot longer to get ready to go anywhere when 1 parent (Brian) has to do all the work. Below are pictures from our weekend at Arches National Park. It was alot of fun & the arches are so beautiful!
The doctor told me not to use my right hand if at all possible, but if I need to use my right hand, I should not move my middle or ring finger. The finger broke all the way through at the tip and the doctor is concerned that if I don't rest it, the bone won't heal & I will have to have a pin placed in the tip to make the nerve endings re-attach properly.
The doctor told me not to use my right hand if at all possible, but if I need to use my right hand, I should not move my middle or ring finger. The finger broke all the way through at the tip and the doctor is concerned that if I don't rest it, the bone won't heal & I will have to have a pin placed in the tip to make the nerve endings re-attach properly.
Diane decided she wanted to learn how to replace brake shoes and asked me if I would teach her. If any of you need your brake shoes replaced let her know. She needs more practice.
Oh my goodness sakes, am I the only one who is freaking out about our government right now? I have seriously stressed about some of the choices they are making (like losing sleep stressed). I worry about our future and our children's future and I sometimes find myself overwhelmed with it all. Last night I was watching BYU TV and heard the following quote by Elder Jeffrey Holland. I LOVE this and need to apply to all aspects of my life because I do tend to be a bit of a "worry wart". Anyway, I thought I'd share and maybe it will help you too.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
Referring to this scripture Elder Holland said: I submit to you that this may be one of the Saviors commandments that is, even in the hearts of otherwise faithful Latter-day Saints, almost universally disobeyed. I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands or trust in his commandments.
I've never thought of that verse as a commandment and I certainly never thought that being fearful would "wound the loving heart of the Savior". Anyway, something for me to work on.
*Trev had is last 30hr shift last month. We celebrated with pizza in the hospital parking lot. No "on-call" shifts in 3rd year WAHOO!!!!!!
*Hallie and Meg are doing swimming lessons and loving it.
*Davis is sleeping so much better... thank goodness!
* We celebrated our 2 year anniversary in Kentucky last month! Being here has been such a great blessing in our lives in so many ways. We love our "old Kentucky home".
* Trevor is officially a 3rd year!!!
* I've been surprised that Campbell hasn't figured out how to climb out of his crib yet since he loves to climb but this morning when I came in his room he was holding a huge screw that he had somehow removed from the crib and insisted that I give it to "daddy". Apparently he is just going to disassemble the crib to escape and apparently Trevor is in on the plan. ;0)
*Last night Megan asked me if I have ever eaten meatballs inside of a cave... she was serious... now THAT'S random!
My Grandpa Grubbs requested pictures be taken of their garden/yard for our family to see. I can't figure out any other way to accomplish this other than posting to my blog, but it was also time for an update anyway.
No, I have not had Baby Jade yet, but I saw the dr. yesterday and my body is progressing for active labor soon. So hopefully in the next week she will arrive and I'll do my best to post (or TJ will) as soon as possible. My friend, Rachel, and I have the exact same due date, but she's getting induced on June 30th if she doesn't go into labor before then and we were trying to go for delivery the same day. We're both having girls and we went through middle school and high school together. So, it would just be kinda cool to have them born on the same day. A few days apart isn't that big a deal, but we will just have to wait and see.
I'm working on trying to finish all the last minute things I want to accomplish in organizing and cleaning at my house. My nesting habits have been going for the last month, so I don't think it's any sure sign other than I want to be as ready as possible. My bags are packed for the hospital, but there's not a lot of food in my fridge so I plan to get that taken care of tomorrow (along with getting a pedicure for some relaxation time).
James is still keeping me going EVERYWHERE. He delights as well as tests my patience everyday, but isn't that what 2-year-olds do? He's doing great and interested in everything. He could play with his train tracks all day if I'd let him. Clifford and Peep & the Big Wide World are his favorite shows to watch and he can talk - boy can that boy talk! He surprises us all the time with his memory so we always have to be extra careful about what we say. This picture is James in his lion towel. I'm so glad I got this because I don't think I could have ever gotten him out of the bathtub without a huge fit otherwise. Whether TJ or I give him a bath he wants to go to the other and say, "I want to be a lion for Mommy/Daddy." He will hide for a few minutes in the towel while we play with him like we can't find him and there's a lion in the house. He just loves it.
Brody started swimming lessons this week. We enrolled him in a "Mommy/Daddy and Me" swim class. He is the youngest one in his class at 3 months old. The next youngest is 15 months, and most of the six students in his class are closer to 2 yrs old. The smallest swim suit I could find in town was 12 months, so we will have to get him a swim suit the next time we go to San Antonio. He just has to wear a little swim diaper, which isn't so little. The smallest swim diapers I could find in town were for 16-26 lbs. I have to roll the waist down on the diaper, but so far it seems to do the job.
Our first lesson was yesterday. When I first got in the pool, I was a little concerned because the temperature was pretty cool. I was worried he wouldn't like the temperature of the water, but it didn't seem to bother him too much. The first thing the instructor had us do was just bob up and down in the water up to their shoulders. He didn't seem to mind that too much. Then, she had us lay their head up on our shoulder, and support the rest of their body with our outstretched arm. Brody doesn't need much support because he floats pretty well thanks to all those adorable little rolls. Towards the end of the class, the instructor told us that we could dunk them under the water if we wanted to, but she understood if we didn't want to. I did want to try to take Brody under water, but I was a little nervous about it too. The instructor told me to just take a deep breath, and blow in his face, and then quickly dunk him. I tried it, and it worked! He didn't choke on any water, but he did look at me like, "What did you do that for Mommy?!" He fussed a little bit for about 10 seconds, and then he was fine again. The instructor kept telling me she couldn't believe how calm he was. Some of the older kids were crying, and very clingy to their moms, but Brody just seemed relaxed and comfortable. I think he's too young to know any different, so hopefully we're getting him in the water early enough that he'll always love the water. Peter got to take him in the pool today, and here are some cute pictures:
Peter had his first official Father's Day this week. I made him a special breakfast Saturday morning because I knew I wouldn't have time Sunday morning. Brody and Timber got some fun gifts for their Daddy. He got a Little Critters book "Just Me and My Dad," and some barbecue accessories: a light so he doesn't have to barbecue in the dark, and a BBQ basket for grilling small things like vegetables. We went to the Beazer's for dinner Sunday night, and enjoyed a wonderful spread of food. Then, I made a special dinner Monday night.
Daddy dressing Kimball to bring him home, what a great Father's Day present!
Kimball Wayne home after 7 days in the NICU, where he got treated with antibiotics, help with raising his low blood sugar level, spent time under the bili lights and learned how to eat.
Grandma has been here helping since Tuesday and we are loving EVERY minute of it :)
Kimball being loved by his sisters.
Daddy and his boys on Father's Day.
Mommy and her "helpers". We've decided Kimball went from intensive care to "extensive care". He rarely gets a feeding without 2 or 3 siblings in his face.
Benson and daddy feeding Kimball.
Kimball is home and the kids couldn't be happier :) This picture just melts my heart. I have truly been blessed with some incredible miracles in my life, and just about each one of these kids has been one. I am so grateful to have healthy and (in my opinion) stinkin' adorable kids.
Just an update of gardening activities. The Red Japanese Maple seedlings are coming along. The garden is planted and with all the rain lately, things are growing like crazy.
We are so thrilled to announce the (early) arrival of our new little guy: Kimball Wayne 6 lbs 0 oz 18 1/2 inches June 14th, 2009 4:56 pm
Mom and baby are both doing well. Kimball is in the NICU due to being 5 1/2 weeks early. He is being treated with antibiotics due to mom's leaky bag of waters and being given sugar water due to low blood sugar. Both problems should be resolved quickly and we hope to take him home in a few days.
Aubrielle and Benson were able to visit him in the NICU and were just thrilled to finally meet their new little brother.
Where does the time go? I can't believe my little baby is already 3 months old. He is growing so fast, and is definitely turning into more of an infant. It's so fun to watch him grow and learn:
He cansee things further away now than he used to.
He has pretty good head control.
He smiles a lot, andgiggles more and more (someday I hope to catch his giggles on video, but he doesn't giggle on demand yet).
He's "talking" more and more all the time.
He's becoming more and more interactive, and has even started to play with some of his toys.
He'srolled over a few times (front to back).
He still HATEStummy time, but he'll give me a few good minutes on his tummy if I put him in front of a mirror.
He has absolutely no patience when it comes to eating. You'd think he was starving, but his adorable little fat rolls prove otherwise.
He's starting to get into somewhat of a routine as far as sleeping and eating. I've started napping him in his crib instead of his play pen because he sleeps better in his room, and he doesn't get woken up by Timber or me running around the house. We have a video baby monitor, which I LOVE because I can peek in on him anytime I want without having to worry about waking him up if I open his bedroom door. He's such a smiley baby, he even smiles at the baby monitor camera above his crib when he wakes up (soprecious). It's almost like he knows I'm watching him.
He loves his hands! He tries to shove his whole fist in his mouth, sometimes both fists at the same time.
He loves splashing in the bath tub. Sometimes I wonder who is giving who a bath.
He has a pretty strong grip.
Most nights, he'll sleep for about eight hours (which I am loving).
He does not like loud voices. The other day, I was in the nursery changing Brody's diaper, and I yelled something to Peter in the other room. Brody got all upset and started crying. Peter told me he did the same thing to him when he was yelling at Timber.
Brody is a great baby! He doesn't really cry much unless he's hungry or tired.
We are so blessed to have such a healthy happy baby. We love you Brody Bear!
Catch a good head cold. Then, come spend a week at our house by yourself with a sick baby and a sick puppy. Make sure you work out every day. This should be your top priority after making sure all of Brody's and Timber's needs are met (even if it takes you all day just to get an hour workout in with all of the baby and puppy interruptions). You won't have much of a chance to eat much of anything, so I can pretty much guarantee you will lose a few pounds.
Long story short . . . Peter was out of town this past week, so I was home alone with a 3 month old baby and an 8 month old puppy. I had come down with a headcold the week before, and managed to share it with Brody. Then, the day after Peter left, Timber either got into something that made him sick, or he was just sick about Peter being gone. Brody is finally sleeping through the night (most nights), but I spent this past week being woken up in the middle of the night by Timber needing to go outside. Actually, Timber's illness may have been a blessing in disguise. Timber has so much energy that we usually have to walk him twice a day. I tried walking Timber by myself the first two days Peter was gone, and it was just too difficult to try to control him when he got excited about other people or dogs while I was packing Brody in a baby carrier. Due to his illness, he seemed to be more mellow this week, even without his usual exercise. I was praying all week that I would have the energy to take care of my family, but I never thought to pray that Timber would have less energy so that I could manage him by myself. Heavenly Father always knows how to best answer our prayers.
I am happy to report that I did manage to somehow get my workouts in every day, although some days it literally took all day just to get an hour workout finished. The most important thing is that we all survived. We're happy to have Peter back home, but I'm wondering how in the world I'm going to survive when we get back to the C-17 lifestyle, and Peter has to go fly missions overseas all the time.
Marshall can be such a sweet boy and so cuddly sometimes. He says the vutest things like, "I just love you too much." He loves to help but can't stay focused very long. Saturday he got so excited to see that I bought him yogurt. He said "Oh, thank-you for buying me that yogurt!" What a sweet kid!!
A few weeks ago, we were at a Boy Scout Troop Meeting. During this meeting, we took a hike to a grocery store that was about 1/2 mile away. When we were getting ready to leave, the Scoutmaster was way behind us. We turned around to see where he was and Marshall yelled, "Run DUDE!"
"Daddy do you know that I love you?" Marshall asked Brian this question yesterday. Brian told him that he always loves Marshall. Then Marshall asked, "Do you even love me when I'm bad?" "Yes Marshall", Brian replied. "I always love you. Even when you do things that are not nice."
At church, Brian told Marshall he could go give his tithing to the bishop. Marshall RAN to the bishop and said, "Here's some money Dude!" Oh, I wish I had been able to see the look on his face!! I'll bet he got a big kick out of that.
Davis had his 6 month appointment last week and we were dying to see how much he weighed (I don't know why we didn't just weigh him on our scale at home!)
So here are the stats:
Weight 21lbs 2oz(96%) Height 28.5inches (97%)
There is NOTHING average about this big guy!
I had to take a naked picture with all those rolls.
Isn't he scrumptious!
A few things about Davis:
He is Extremely ticklish from his head to his toes. Even when I change his clothes he just giggles... it is absolutely adorable.
He is so easy going. He loves to just sit and suck on some toys and watch his brother and sisters run and play around him. Even when Campbell gets a little rough with him Davis just grins at his big brother (once he stops crying ;0).
He is eating solids and even loves the peas and green beans.
He sits up and grabs at everything.
He isn't a great sleeper and since he hardly ever cries it is SO HARD to let him cry it out. I feel like I am abandoning him when he is trying to tell me he needs me... ugh. Still working on that one.
He is the same size his brother and sisters were when they turned one so you can imagine the biceps I am developing and you should see Hallie and Megan carry him around, it is almost comical. They LOVE to hold Davis. Megan feels especially grown up when I let her walk around holding him but I do worry she is going to hurt her back... seriously.
What else can I say? He is just such a lovable lil' guy!
Some of our dear friends from Utah are in Alabama for a few weeks and we decided since we were only 7hrs away (ONLY 7 hours, ha,ha) we should meet in Nashville for the weekend. We shared a suite with a room for each family and a small kitchen and living room so we could put the kiddos to bed and stay up late chatting and catching-up. It was perfect.
Before I show you pictures of Nashville I have to take a short trip down memory lane and show you some hiking adventures we've had with Steph and Mike.
Something you may not know about Trev and I is we LOVE to go on high adventure hikes. Steph and Mike are always up for adventures so we all headed down to southern Utah (a few times) and hiked "the subway" and "the blackbox". Both hikes take about 8-12 hrs each and require repelling, climbing, and swimming (some years the water is above you head!). There is nothing like almost dying together to really strengthen your friendship. ;)
Okay, enough of that, here are some pictures of Opryland Hotel. This was my favorite part of our Nashville trip, it was so lush and just absolutely beautiful!
Love to capture these moments; there isn't near enough of them lately... lil' stinkers.
We loved lunch at the Rainforest Cafe where we were surrounded by birds, apes, hippos, and butterflies. There were even thunderstorms!
This is the first time in a LONG time that all of the kids were great at a restaurant. Loved it!
I know these next pic are pretty grainy but I have to document this part of our trip. We saw a walking bridge from the freeway and we wanted to find it. We guessed on the GPS map where it was and the GPS then took us on a wild goose chase where we finally ended up at a small airport... not the bridge.
It was late so we decided to just get out and enjoy our quickly-melting ice cream at the little airport and then the kids noticed fireflies everywhere. They were in heaven and I was so glad we got "lost".
It is my girls favorite memory of the trip.
(ps Mike is not bald, like I said these are dark/ grainy pictures... sorry Mike) ;0
Some more melting ice cream at the Parthenon Park.
Why is there a replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee you ask?? Good question! All the kiddos, who got along great together. Mike and Steph's cute family.Our cute family. ;)
The whole gang
On the way home Trev and I talked about how blessed we are to have such great people in our lives like Stephanie and Mike.
I went to the dentist today because it's been 5 yrs and because I have a problem with my gums. After looking online, I was sure I had Periodontitis, a gum disease. I've been beating myself up about it for a few days now. I knew I should have gone to the dentist earlier but it's so flippin' expensive. I don't have dental insurance and it gets pretty pricey. They did four X-Rays for free but then they needed to do a panoramic x-ray so they could get more details. Well, I found out I'm missing quite a few teeth. They said I don't have any bicuspids. (News to me! I think I vaguely remember having someone mention that.) It's funny to look at the panoramic X-ray and see all the screws in my jaw. (I really DO have a few screws loose!)
The good is that I don't have periodontitis!
The bad is that hat I only have 2 very small cavaties. Not too shabby for 5 yrs without seeing a dentist! Not that I can afford to have them filled but hey, I only have two!
TheWHAT THE HECK AM I GONNA DOis that my gums are reeceeding and they don't know why. Lovely. Also, the roots in my teeth are still dissolving. I knew it had started to happen but I didn't realize how serious it was. They said I'm way too young for this kind of thing to be happening. The dentist thinks it is because my bite is off. (Note to Dad- looks like that jaw surgery didn't pay off so well. Sorry about that!) The dentist told me to move my bottom jaw to the left, then the right. I can move it to the left just fine but I can not move it to the right at all. Now my jaw is hurting from trying so hard today (and from having my mouth open so long). They think the other reason this is happening is because of all the orthodontics stuff I had done. The dentist said they probably moved my teeth too fast and too much. GOOD ONE ORTHODONTIST!! I don't recall asking for braces in the first place. Oh well. What's done is done. Now I get to live with it. The dentist said a bite plate could possibly help. It's not possibly gonna happen because that would cost over $400. Yeah, I think I'll just deal with the problems thank-you very much!
I can't believe it has taken me so long to write this post. I don't know how many times I have sat down to write about this experience but I just couldn't think of the words. But I knew I needed to share my thoughts with all of my friends and family about a little miracle we were able to witness.
Over the last month and a half Brandon and I have had the opportunity to work with the missionaries in teaching a young mother about the gospel. The missionaries tracked into Angela one Saturday after we had them over for dinner. Angela lived in our building with her 3 year old daughter and her boyfriend. She was at a crossroads in her life where she was looking for something more and thought religion was the answer. I was lucky enough to tag along to all the discussions. Last Saturday Angela was baptized!! I can't tell you how excited and happy I am for her! I wanted to share a few things I learned through this experience.
I have never been on a mission and have never have had many opportunities to help teach the gospel to an investigator. I was very nervous that I would not know what to say or how to answer her questions. During discussions the missionaries would ask me to bare my testimony. Then as I would be hanging out with Angela she would ask me some pretty tough questions. I was surprised at the words that would just fall into my mouth. I now realize that it is not the person or the words that matter in preaching the gospel. The Holy Ghost is the most powerful teacher and testifer. I will also never forget the spirit I felt as Angela prayed aloud for the first time or when she bore her testimony for the first time.
I also began to really understand how faith is the first princle of the gospel. I grew up in the church and have taken for granted my testimony, beliefs, and how I live my life. As I sat in the discussions I tried to put myself in Angela's shoes. What would I think about faith, prayer, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, prophets, the law of chastity, or the word of wisdom if I was hearing about it for the first time? Would I believe any of it? I was amazed at the giant leaps of faith Angela took as she learned a principle and then would chose to apply it into her life not knowing from previous experience the happiness it brings by living that principle. Things that seemed so simple to me would require her to make huge life changes. I was constantly surprised by Angela's faith despite all the resistance from family and friends.
I also learned a lot about my own faith. The missionaries challenged Angela to be baptized on a certain date. That date came and went with no baptism. There seemed to be too many obstacles standing in her way making baptism seem impossible. The missionaries then challenged her to a new date of May 30. While we were in Cancun, Brandon and I would talk about if we thought Angela would be baptized on that day. I expressed my doubts and we both agreed it probably wouldn't happen. Then to my big surprise I had a message from Elder Livingstone on my phone when we got back. It pretty much said, "A lot has happened while you've been away. Angela wants to be baptized on Saturday and she would like you to give the closing prayer at the service." I called Brandon at work and said, "You will never believe what has happened!" I felt so humbled knowing my doubts had overshadowed my faith. How did I not have enought faith to know that everything would work out? I learned that with God nothing is impossible.
I am so grateful for the joy of missionary work. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ restored church on the earth today. I am so happy to have been able to see a friend come to know of this truth.
Brandon and I got married one year ago yesterday! I can't believe it. Sometimes it feels like it just happened but then I think about all that we have done in the past year....new state, new jobs, new apartments, new wards, new people, new adventures, a whole new life. I am so glad Brandon has been by my side for it all! To celebrate Brandon came home a little early from work and took me to the temple. We then went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner.
I shared in a few posts back the feelings of inadequacy and humility I sometimes experience as a mother. As I have prayed answers have come.
Today I read this and it brought me comfort.
"You are doing God's work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you, even- no, especially- when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master's garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and weep over their responsibility as mothers, 'Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.' And it will make your children whole as well." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
I think I am often prideful in thinking that I should be able to do this on my own... I should have all the answers... after all, they are my children.
Sometimes I think we can be so hard on ourselves and even on each other and because we set this perfect standard we might feel some " hesitation and some embarrassment" asking for help but I love how the woman "fought her way through the crowd" to get to the Saviour. She was determined, she had faith, and the most amazing part to me is that the Lord felt she was worth saving. When she wasn't enough on her own she went to Him and He made her whole.
It's just a really busy time. We're spending lots of time outside and I am beat by the time I finally get to bed at night. We're trying to get Marshall's meds figured out to better help him function. He is not a bad boy. He is so full of love for everyone. He just needs to learn to control his emotions.
Trevor had Saturday off so we headed up to Huber Farms in Indiana.
There are so many fun things to do there.
There are a lot of animals to pet and feed.
Then there are a few animals that you just stare at because they are kinda freaky looking.
They have some crazy slides.
And, they have some geese that don't understand what "personal space" is....
there's that freaky duck/chicken again... weird
They also have lots of strawberriesto pick. I was so bummed because my camera battery died before we got to the strawberry patch so we didn't get any pictures of that but all in all we had a great day at Huber Farms!
We finally went on our trip to Cancun and it was absolutely AMAZING! After months and months of waiting it finally came...and went a little too quickly. I am also happy to report we made it there and back without any scary encounters with drug cartels or coming down with a nasty case of the swine flu. It was actually quiet nice down there because of all the bad PR Mexico got on the news this last month. The resort was not crowded and we never had to wait for anything. There were maybe 10 people on the beach at a time and we always had about 5 servers waiting on us hand and foot. Let me tell you...a girl can get used to that.
There is too much to write about so I thought I would just use pictures. (That's all I really look at on blog anyways.)
This is our hotel: Dreams Cancun all-inclusive resort and spa. I have never been to an all-inclusive resort before but let me tell you that is the way to go. Everything was free game: water sports, restaurants, entertainment, drinks, even the mini bar in your room.
Our room was pretty awesome. We stayed overlooking the dolphin pool. In the morning we would either wake up to crazy chirping birds or the dolphins splashing in the water.
Here is where we spent most of our time...THE BEACH!! The water was clear, blue, and WARM. They had floaty toys and tampolines to play on, kayaks, and snokel gear.
One day we went to Chichen-Itza, an ancient Mayan city. Here we are in front of the famous temple. You can no longer climb the steps up to the top. The craziest thing about the plaza is that when you are standing in the right spot and clap the acoustics somehow make the echo sound like a chirping bird. When our tour guide told us that I didn't believe him but he was so right...it really does sound like a chirping bird and nothing like a clap. CRAZY!
All of the stones had engravings on them. This was on the walls of the 'ball field.' Notice the stick that pierces his nose and the huge earrings. He is thought to be royalty.
The Mayans practiced human sacrifices and are often thought of as violent people. These skull carvings line a huge stage/platform where they performed some of these sacrifices. They also would make human sacrifices by throwing people into a large Cenote, or sink hole, where the person was unable to climb out and would eventually drown.
Before we went to Chichen-Itza, we first made a stop at a Cenote to go for a swim.
Doesn't he look excited to jump in? Or is he scared?
Here is what it looked like from ground level. We then had to make our way down a tunneled stairway with chains as handrails to get to that platform below where all the people are standing.
It was really cool when you got down in there. It was fresh water and there were hundreds of little fish swimming around.
This is a really ugly picture of me but I thought it looked cool with the vines all around.
Here is Brandon jumping from the highest platform. I am proud to say I jumped from there too but mine wasn't nearly as graceful as his dive.
Here we are back at the hotel. There was a light house on the point. We would walk along this path looking for hermit crabs every night and iguanas during the day.
Can you see the iguana?
Sunset!!
This is Brandon at our favorite bar...the Sugar Reef. We would lye on the beach and our friend Jimer would come by every so often and bring us Pina Coladas, Tango Mangos, or whatever we wanted. It was bliss!
This was one of the four restaurants at the resort. Most of them were on the beach.
Well that is about it! We had a wonderful time just relaxing and hanging out together. It was the best 2nd honeymoon any girl could ask for! Thanks again Brandon for taking me!
Having four kids has changed everything. It's not Davis' fault. He is a little angel boy and such a blessing but there is something about 4 busy, silly, whiny, crazy, messy, crying, laughing, screaming kids that has thrown me off completely.
I have asked myself HOW? How can I possibly be a good mom to these four dramatically different children??? Each one of them needs time, attention, hugs, kisses, discipline, food, water, shelter, clothing, baths, clean sheets (does washing their sheets a few times a year count?), Dr. appointments, tooth brushing, ear cleaning, fingernail clipping... I'm mean the hygiene alone is killing me and we haven't even started on my house or laundry or food or my responsibility to teach them and "rear them in love and righteousness"!
I've had many a prayer sent heavenward asking for wisdom for a mother of four. Answers have come here and there. Mostly on long walks with my friend or talks with my husband or quiet moments which are rare to find but so much more appreciated...
And so I am dealing with loss of control (or perceived control anyway), a very messy house that is now impossible to keep clean for more than a few minutes, body changes from 4 pregnancies... Hello, discouragement, frustration with own inabilities... I just thought I would be better at this. Being a mom is hard... especially if you want to be a good mom.
Humility... I'm learning humility. Learning humility is very humbling... and it makes me tired too.
PS Don't worry, I'm not really depressed... remember how I'm getting off "the blogging stage"? I just thought I would be honest about the challenges of life... maybe you can relate?.
Megan- "Nobody come by the bathroom. I'm going to the bathroom and I don't want anyone to come by the bathroom door because... I'm going to be talking to myself."
I was recently released from the YW and now I'm in the primary. Last week we were talking about recognizing Satan's influence and one of the boys raised their hand and said, " Um, um, when I was at my aunt's house I looked out the window and something red went Zooooom by the window and I think it was Satan...... or the Easter Bunny."
And finally, a sweet moment. After sending Megan to time out for the 2nd time in 15 minutes I hung my head in frustration and Hallie came up to me and hugged me and said, "I bet it's really hard to be a mom when your kids aren't listening." You said it sister.
Tuesday evening, I picked up a refill of Marshall's sleep medication, Clonidine. To make an extremely long story short (and since I'm very tired), the medication was NOT Clonidine. Apparently, the Pharmacy Tech filled the bottle with Valium! So instead of getting .2mg of Clonidine, Marshall got 2 mg of Valium. Needless to say, it has not been a good few days in the Bucklein home. Marshall had to go to the ER Tuesday night and they gave him Benadryl and Clonidine to help him go to sleep. He finally did go to sleep around 1:30am and was COMPLETELY out when they got home around 3am. He was not in control of his muscles anymore thanks to Valium! There are so many more things I could write about what is going on but I just don't have time or the energy to do so. Just know that he is waking up OK now but he is having MAJOR mood swings. He is so out of control but I'm not upset by this. He doesn't want to be out of control. I feel so bad for him and I hope tomorrow will be better. He needs to be able to function.
Todd and his friend Lynn have set up 5 bee hives next to our garden and I can't wait for some of that great honey. From all reports, the bees are doing great and enjoying their new home.
I haven't been good to update this blog like I used to.
I have to be honest, lately our blog feels more like a stage than a journal. I don't like that- so I've decided I need to use it more as a journal again (as it was intended) and sorry if you are bored or think it is too personal.
You can skip those posts if you want ;0.
I really want this blog to reflect our lives with ups and downs and the beauty and sometimes not-so-pretty reality that it is.
It was great to spend this special day with Emily. She set a goal four years ago to go back to school and completing her undergraduate in psychology was the first step. Now on to a masters.
On the way home from our FHE outing tonight there was A LOT of whining in the backseat. Hallie especially was whining and crying about her eyes itching which is not a new thing because she gets terrible allergies here in Kentucky but it can be SO FrUsTrAtInG when she won't let us do eye drops to help.
Anyway, we were telling the girls to stop whining and threatening them that they would be going to bed early tonight.
When we got home Trevor told them to go straight to bed and when I went upstairs and saw them I yelled for Trevor to come up...
Seriously, their eyes were swelling as I stood there talking to them. They looked in the mirror and Hallie started laughing SO hard (Megan didn't think it was so funny). I was quick to get them some allergy medicine, some eye drops, and cold compresses.
My friend, Heidi, told me about these quilt clips I could use to hang the baby blanket on the wall. I had never heard of or seen anything like this before, and it turned out to be the perfect way to hang the baby blanket. I got these cute quilt clips from The Little Elephant Company.
Now that we have a way to hang the baby blanket, we actually got it hung up in the nursery.
Here are the most recent pictures of the "completed" nursery. There are still a few more things I would like to do with this room, but we'll see if I ever get around to it. Life is a little crazy these days.
I haven't posted much. There isn't much time for it lately. Brian went to Spain the week we got home from Naperville. Marshall was already out of control but when Brian left, it got worse. I don't have time to go into it all. Just a few highlights: Marshall got more violent with me and more obsessive with his favorite computer game. Nate did a great job at his Dance Festival for school (pictures are coming, I promise!!), and he got elected by his class as "Most Likely To Become President." That's my boy!! Also, we got the results back from Marshall's school testing. He will not be in Special Ed anymore. That means he doesn't get an IEP and we don't get to send him to Preschool anymore. He will either go to a tuition based preschool or Head Start. I haven't decided yet. I also have considered sending Nate back to the Charter School but I doubt I will. We only have a year left before Brian graduates and I don't think it would be a good idea to switch him again right now.
I'm having a hard time. This trial in my life is not an easy one. It's so frustrating to see my darling 4 yr old so out of control. I'm doing the very best I can! I search out things that might help him. I've spent lots of money on therapy stuff and books. He still goes to Occupational Therapy and has for over 2 yrs now. I want to cry when I see Marshall walking around shaking his hands (it's called stemming). This week a little boy who is 5, called Marshall a bad boy. I've had grown men laugh at Marshall for shaking his hands. It's so sad. I worry about his future. I wonder when he will no longer be able to "keep it together" at school. I'm doing all the research I can to help my child. Will it be enough? I'm just not sure.
This video was very good for me to see tonight. It is from a talk that Elder Quintin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave at our recent General Conference.
Brody had his 2 month check-up today. He is one healthey little boy. He weighed in at 12 lbs 9 oz (25th percentile). He measured 23 1/8 inches long (50th percentile). His head circumference measured 15 3/8 inches (30th percentile). He got his first set of shots today (3 shots to be exact).
Hallie gave me this poem for Mother's Day. At first I thought her teacher told everyone what to write but I found out today that she came up with it herself. So creative. Merry days, Outstanding weeks, Terrific months, Historical years, Eternal life, Red hot heart of love.
Along with all the other normal things going on in our lives, we have been trying to prepare some for Baby Jade's arrival. I guess we never officially announced it on our blog, but you can see the timer so you know she's due July 9th. I'm hoping for the end of June since James was 1.5 weeks early from his due date and he weighed 8 lbs. 9 oz. I don't really want to go for a 10 lb. baby - totally ok with the more normal range in that category. So, that I will just have to wait and see.
Well, since we're less than two months and there's plenty to do, here's our list:
Paint closet
Install the closet organizer shelves and rods
SPRING CLEAN (you know, all the special extras like moving furniture around to clean around it and scrubbing down windows and doors, etc.)
After baby shower (which is May 30th - Thanks Kim, Rosa, Granny Hane, Felicia!), getting all the stuff organized and getting the rest of the stuff we need.
Spend lots of time with James (I think we want to get him a gift "from Jade" too).
Try to finish James' baby book so I don't feel like I've totally ignored his life since he was 3 months old.
Work on my project for Jade although I know I won't finish it before she's born. I did a cross-stitch with a scripture for James and decided I wanted to make it a tradition for all of my kids. I found a really beautiful flower one to make with John 3:16. I'm not really crafty so I want my kids to have at least one thing I hand-made for them.
1 and 2 got done last week (mostly by TJ - Thanks BABE!) and I'm able to put everything back in the closet. Those organizing shelves make a HUGE difference when you live in a small house and have 2 small bedrooms with 4 people's stuff. I know there's always plenty to do just to get things ready for a baby and we won't really be "ready" anyway, but the thing I want is just to get to enjoy her and our family time when she gets here. So the more that's done before, the better.
James has also been getting ready for "Baby Jade." Here are some of his recent things:
Sitting in his high chair yesterday I told him, "You and Jade will get to share your high chair." He said, "No, I'm sitting here." I told him he wouldn't have to have her sit with him, just when he wasn't sitting in it she would. He said, "Oh, ok."
Ask him anytime who is in Mommy's belly and he says very matter-of-factly, "Baby Jade."
When I'm going through clothes or diapers for Jade or anything else, he always knows who they are for, "Baby Jade."
In his prayers sometimes he likes to say a long list of family to bless, but he always makes sure to include "Baby Harmony" (my cousin, Talli's little baby born in March), and "Baby Olivia" (my cousin, Breeze's baby born in December). I asked him one day if he could pray for Baby Jade too. He studied me for a second, looked at my belly, and then said, "Please bless Baby Jade too."
Lastly, but also my favorite. I was reading to him in the glider chair in his room and Jade started to move around a lot after we finished and were just sitting, talking, and cuddling. He won't keep his hand on my belly long enough to feel anything, so I told him to watch my tummy to see Baby Jade move. He looked for about 5 seconds and then said, "Is she going to come out?" I just love my little boy!
I can't believe my little baby is 2 months old today. He is just growing like a weed. He has his 2 month check-up on Wednesday. I put him in this cute little outfit to take some pictures of him today because I think he looks good in brown, and he is my little all star, and after one picture, he spit up all over himself, so we had to do a wardrobe change.
Today is my first official "Mother's Day," thanks to this little guy.
I have always wanted to be a mother. Whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would emphatically state that I wanted to be a mother. I never really dreamed of having a career. In fact, I was rather irritated that I had to work for so long because it took us so long to finally have a baby. Now that motherhood has become a reality for me, I wonder how all those mothers out there do it. I had no idea what motherhood was all about. I absolutely love it, but it is completely exhausting and overwhelming, and I only have one (although I could argue that Timber is like having a two year old). I'm sure I will eventually look back on these days, and think I had it so easy with just one. In all seriousness though, I am really loving my life these days. I have a wonderful husband who loves me, and treats me so well. I especially love that he is able to support our family so that I can stay home to raise our child(ren). I have the best baby ever! I just love him more and more every day. His smiles, coos and giggles just melt my heart. And lately Timber has been quite a good little puppy. I'm wondering if someone switched dogs with us. He still has some crazy puppy moments, but lately he has been more of a good puppy than a naughty puppy. Maybe all that time and effort we've put into training him is finally starting to pay off. I just feel so blessed to have the life that I have. It has been a wonderful first Mother's Day. Peter framed some pictures of Brody for me (something I've been wanting to do for the past several weeks, and I've just never gotten around to it), and I got this adorable apron I've been wanting. My mom had these cute aprons we wore when we were little and would help her in the kitchen, but I've never had an apron since then, and I'm tired of splattering grease and flour on my clothes when I'm cooking. Then, to top the day off, Peter cooked me a delicious steak dinner. I hope he realizes that he just set the standard for all of my future Mother's Days.
No Mother's Day would be complete without paying tribute to my own Mother. She is one of my best friends. She is always there for me, no matter what. She always puts others first, especially her children. She is the best example I know of selfless service. She took a month out of her life to spend with me when I had my baby. Several of my friends have commented on how lucky I was to have my mom here for a month. Motherhood was a huge adjustment, and I was so blessed to have her here to help me make this incredible transition in my life. This is just one example of the many acts of service she has done for me in my life. My mother is the best mother I know, and I only hope that I can be half the mother to my children that she was to me.
I would also like to pay tribute to my Mother-in-law. I think she did an amazing job raising her children. I was so impressed with Peter from the moment I first met him. He has always treated me very well, and I know that is because of how he was raised.
For the first time in 18 yrs, I went back to Naperville. Ok, I lied. I went back one other time but it was only for a few days. This time I got to see more people but it just went by way too fast! Here we are all loaded up and ready to go. We took Brian's mom with us to help entertain Marshall. Here's a better view of Nate in the back...
Before we left, we gave Nathan a little surprise.... After much coaxing, someone FINALLY convinced me to teach their cihldren piano. In exchange for piano lessons, they bought Nate a brand new Nintendo DS, a carrying case, and 2 games. He was SHOCKED!!!
Needless to say, we never heard a peep out of that boy the WHOLE trip!! He was happy as could be. :) He's always been such an easy going kid anyway.
It was a very long drive but we finally made it to our destination... Naperville, Illinois. I was so happy to finally be HOME. I've lived in Utah longer than I lived in Naperville but it still felt like finally I was home.
We had a whirlwind of a visit. We got in late Thursday night and stayed with a very generous family. Our children formed a lasting bond during that week and they can't wait to see each other again.
Friday we went to The Museum of Science and Industry. I'm sure Nate could spend DAYS there exploring and learning...it's right up his alley. Marshall seemed to enjoy it but I think it was way too overstimulating to him. He kept running away and just couldn't stay focused on anything for more than a second or two. He loved the Idea Factory section of the museum. It had lots of water to play with. That's right up his alley. He seemed to have a great time there.
Saturday, Brian and Nate spent the day at Great America while I went to a rehearsal. The guys had a great time and Nate even rode ALL the thrilling rollercoasters and LOVED them!! He also tried a new food... footlong chili cheese dog. Way to go Nate!!
Here are a few pictures from the rehearsal I went to. The reason I went to Naperville in the first place was because my Mother started a children's choir 25 yrs ago and they were having an alumni choir at the 25th anniversary concert and wanted a Grubbs family member to be there. Brian thought it was important enough for me to go so I went. Here are a few pictures..
Top: Jacque Hilton Clermont, Me, and Jayne (I forgot her name! I sang in choir with Jacque and this is her older sister.)
Me and Judy Herring. What a great lady she is! She accompanied and helped direct Young Naperville Singers (My mom's choir) for many years. She also taught music at my Elementary School. I really missed her!
Sunday, we drove around and showed the kids where I used to live and go to school. This was our first home in Naperville. It was on Lilac Lane. I'm pretty sure we have a picture of us kids standing by that tree. I remember there being a birch tree too but I didn't see that anywhere. Here is us by the tree in 1978 and the picture below was taken on Sunday.
Our second house was on Pawnee Lane. Most of my childhood memories are there. We moved to this house when I was in 2nd grade.
The people who lived next door to me happened to be home so I stopped and said hello. Here are Mr. and Mrs. Nolle.
That is all I can get done tonight. Look for part 2 hopefully tomorrow.
I finally uploaded pictures from when we went swimming a few weekends ago. I was going to post them right away and brag about the heat, but after about a day I was ready to complain (90+ is NOT that comfortable when you are packing around an extra little person :) Anyway, the temperature has gone back to "normal" and I'm loving it, but the extreme sun was fun for a weekend :)
Camron's birthday was on Sunday, yes, Easter Sunday. Aubrielle thought it was the greatest and has been telling EVERYBODY for about the past month. The kids had a great time decorating the wrapping paper, hiding his presents, and even taking pictures of dad opening his presents (Mom had to do some major cropping to get dad in the middle of the pictures for this collage :). Camron and I got to go out on a date Saturday night and I hope he loved it as much as I did. (There is just something about being able to have a real conversation over the dinner table and to shop at the store for hours without anyone complaining, I'm sure those with small kids can relate). Anyway, I had a great time and just wanted to wish the man I love a very happy (and very belated birthday)!!
See for yourself at 2337 S. 300 E.(Davis Blvd.)
3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath, brick, split level home with large yard and mature trees. Close to schools and public transportation. Remodeled kitchen and bath with tile floors. No smoking. Pets only with additional deposit. Call 801-628-2888.
I just read a post on my friend Leslie's blog about a teddy bear picnic, and it made me think of these pictures we took of Brody the other day, so I thought I would share them.
Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby and that is a BIG deal around here
(this is Kentucky you know).
It's a lot of fun since everyone gets into the spirit of Derby.
Yesterday the kids came home with paintings of horses, new facts about horses, and even shiny metals around their necks from their "derby races" at school.
Megan made a beautiful Derby hat.
She is under there somewhere.
She thought Davis needed a Derby hat too so she made him this one:
I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed out daily and I can't do it anymore so I am making some changes, drawing some lines, cutting things out, and building a stronger foundation.
Saturday Brandon and I went up to Skagit County to see the Tulip Festival. It was beatiful!!! First we made our way to Hillcrest Park to have a BBQ salmon dinner. Mmmmm....I'm still thinking about how tasty it was. I think that was the BEST salmon I have ever had.
Then we made our way to the Tulip Fields. Traffic was horrible and it took FOREVER to get there but it was well worth the wait. Brandon was so patient with me as I played with my new camera and took a MILLION pictures. Here are just a few of my favorite shots.
I added some funny stuff that Marshall has said to the sidebar. I haven't had time to really post about it but I write down things as I can so I won't forget them.
I'm sure those of you with boys can relate. Brody initiated Peter and me the first night he was out of the hospital. Luckily we were still staying in a hotel in San Antonio, so it was the hotel bedding that got peed on and not our own bedding. So far, everyone who has changed Brody's diaper has been initiated with a shower of pee.
As usual, I am behind on my blogging. This picture was taken on April 11th, one month after Brody was born. He is growing and changing so quickly. I had my six week post-patum appointment today, so while I was at the hospital, I decided to weigh Brody. He weighed in at 11 lbs. 6 oz. Such a big boy! My six month old niece Hadley only weighs 13 lbs. He's going to surpass her in no time.
Here's Brandon modeling his new specs. He only uses them for reading and working on the computer...which I have calculated to be 62.3% of his day. (See... I'm good with numbers too!) I think he looks great and super smart!
It's been months since I posted anything. Wow! That's how much even a part-time job can take out of me. Officially this week I have no more birthmoms who are pregnant and as soon as I finish-up the last bit of my paperwork I am "just" at home again. "Just" doesn't mean being home is more menial or less important - far from! Being home is something I relish in and have become more appreciative of over the last 15 months of being in the outside workforce.
I didn't start working as an adoption counselor part-time (whatever that means) because I felt like I needed to work outside the home to fulfill myself - it was purely a financial cover to start off. I wasn't even looking for a job on Craiglist, but I ran across the posting last January (2008) when I was helping my mom look for work on there. I had been looking for part-time work for a few months, but nothing seemed to fit our financial needs that was worth it for me to do and still be at home most of the time. After finding it, TJ and I discussed it, prayed about it, and it felt like a good decision for us so I applied.
I didn't go to school majoring in social work to become a millionaire (HA! Anyone know a social worker by profession that even makes six figures, much less any more?). Adoption counseling with prospective birthmothers sounded like a really great opportunity I hadn't got to try yet in the social work field and I really thought it would be perfect since East Texas wasn't very busy for our agency. I was lucky that I had a gradual start with the job in that I really was working maybe only 10-15 hours per week for the first few months. Then something changed and pregnant women considering adoption started popping out of the woodworks of East Texas and my job became a lot more toward full-time and traveling a lot rather than being at home most of the time. Other factors played in with my time restraints and being home, but my job became a real focus of everything. I was lucky that most appointments I could schedule around my time, but there is no control as to when a birthmom goes into labor (as any pregnant woman can tell you). I hated to leave James when he was so upset and crying. Even though I knew it didn't take him long to calm down, I just didn't have my heart in my job to keep doing it. TJ's work had improved considerably and the financial importance wasn't there anymore. Then, we found out we were expecting our second child on Election Day and gave my notice in January expecting to finish sometime in April. I wanted to keep working with a couple birthmoms I'd been with for a while and go with them to delivery and placement.
The last couple weeks have been A LOT slower since my wondeful friend, Vee, was hired to replace me as the East Texas Adoption Counselor. My thoughts don't have to constantly focus on who I need to call and check on, who's dr. apt. is next, what are there needs, and how can I help them best with their adoption plan. I really get to focus on my family now and our home and what's most important to us.
Every social work job I've done has had a profound effect on my personally, and I don't see how it couldn't for every other social worker. I've seen people of all walks of life and I really learn the meaning of "love one another" that Christ teaches us first hand. You have to love the people you are trying to "help them help themselves" and better their lives. When I don't and I'm so overwhelmingly frustrated with them for whatever reason, I know I'm not really doing the work I need to. I wouldn't have met most of these people in any other way, and I'm grateful for each one of them and the things that I've learned.
However, never being part of the adoption process before, I truly am sooooooooo grateful for the privelage I've had to be a part of the lives of the people I've worked with and their adoption stories. The birthmothers, my colleagues, and adoptive parents, as well as even medical professionals have all been an inspiration to me in one way or another. I know anyone who has ever asked me about my job knows I could talk on and on about it. I will try to keep this minimal though.
In 15 months I've had the great privelage of being part of the adoption of 4 beautiful babies brought into this world by some of the most selfless women I know. The parents that have made long adoption plans and then changed their mind I can honestly say have done it for purely selfish reasons. It's never been about their child - their reasons for changing their minds have been about themselves. I'm not judging them for the decision they made because I don't know if being in any of their shoes I would be able to choose adoption. However, I know when a birthmother makes that most selfless sacrifice of herself and chooses adoption it is some of the greatest love I've ever witnessed. I pray for them to be comforted in their loss. Just because they choose adoption doesn't mean they don't suffer. They are the ones that don't have their precious child to hold when they go home and I know they have doubts and questions if they made the right decision afterwards. Who wouldn't? They are going on faith and hope that they made the best decision for their child they could by giving their precious child a loving family who can provide that very important aspect to a child a they grow - stability. I think stability isn't emphasized enough for children. Not just when they are very young, but even as they grow up to adulthood. Every birthmother I've met doesn't have this. People don't consider adoption as an option unless their lives are chaotic, even if that's not what they would say. Children are very often raised without stability in their lives and they survive. Yet I want my children to not just survive, but flourish and given every opportunity to grow and learn. Adoption is so much about love. Anyone that has asked me about my job outside my family and friends has immediately opened up and shared some personal story they have with adoption. It's amazing the blessing in people's lives. So, it's difficult for me to understand the bad feelings and total misunderstanding of adoption that so many people have. I guess you can't ever understand the miracle of adoption for a child until years down the road to see how their life turned out, whether adopted or not. Even if you know, you really don't know exactly how the alternative would have turned out.
It's really all about faith. Believing in something that you can't see down the road. I echo the same thing I read from an adoptive parent I met, "God bless the birthmothers of this world." You will probably never know who they are when you see them at the grocery store or gas station. They are girls and women (boys and men too) of all walks of life. You will never know their grief and loss over missing their child. But please don't judge them negatively for their decision. They are blessing millions of peoples lives all over the world (both their childs and adoptive parents) and no greater act of love except our Savior's do I know.
Timber turned 6 months old on April 7th. He weighs in at just over 60 lbs. now. Such a big puppy! Now that he is 6 months old, he got to be neutered yesterday. It was a great day for me because for the first time since Brody arrived all I had to worry about was Brody. It was just me and the baby all day. I didn't have to worry about letting Timber out of his crate, or feeling guilty because he was in his crate. However, I did feel bad that he probably wasn't having such a great day. Being the good little housewife that I am, I took advantage of my day without Timber and got some housework done. I even managed to wash Timbers bedding and clean his crate for him. The Vet told us that he would probably be lethargic for the next few days, but when Peter brought Timber home last night, he pretty much seemed to be the typical Timber. The Vet also said not to walk him for the next three days, and not to let him run or jump. Poor Timber! All he wants to do is play. He keeps bringing me his toys to throw for him, but I can't let him run, so I can't throw his toys for him. (FYI: He has never brought his toys to me to throw for him. I usually have to play tug-of-war with him to get a toy away from him to throw it for him. He hasn't exactly figured out the game of "fetch" yet.)
The Plaster family is busy then ever. Dad just started school again so he is now trying to juggle school, work and family. We will see how he does. But at least he is almost done. He will Graduate in Dec. Mom is staying busy keeping up with me. Although I have not started crawling yet I still manage to get to were I want to be. She is also helping someone in town train horses and we all know how she feels about that. I am sure she will probably make me do the same thing when I am old enough. I got my first 2 teeth a couple of weeks ago and am working on the others. I am also staring to eat more solids. Mom feeds me like crazy but i can't seem to gain any weight. I only weigh 13 pounds and have dropped into the 0% for my age again. I must take over my Dad's side of the family. Well here are a couple of updated pictures for you all to enjoy
Todd and his bee friends set up 5 bee hives next to our garden Saturday. It was interesting to watch the process. We won't have to worry about our garden plants getting pollinated this year.
Well, Spring Break started after school Friday. He started feeling run-down Thursday. Friday he was dragging but I told him to just try to make it through since it was his last day before Spring Break. Unfortunately, by Friday night, he was coughing so we started his nebulizer treatments. He kind of stayed low key all day Saturday. I got busy getting a million things done (like always) and forgot I was going to take him to the after-hours clinic. I figured it's just viral so I gave him more nebulizer treatments and thought he would get better. Unfortunately, he didn't. He got worse. So Sunday morning, Briand and I had to sing in the choir. We all went to Sacrament Meeting and left Nate home (we live right across the street from the church). I felt bad about it but Brian kept saying I really needed to sing in the choir. After Sacrament Meeting was over, I came home to check on Mr. Sicko. I remembered that he has a Peak Flow Meter which measures the rate at which you can get air out of your lungs. I had him do the peak flow and his was very low. So, it was off to the doctor. But first, I needed to get the pork roast in the crockpot for Sweet Pork Roast Tacos. I thought I had purchased everything I needed to make these, but soon found out I was out of brown sugar! Ugh!! Lucky for me, my downstairs neighbor was home with her little girl who was also sick. So, being the great neighbor I am, I borrowed from her! I ran back upstairs to throw the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot and realized we had no salsa either! Neighbor to the rescue again. See how spoiled I am?! After borrowing AGAIN, I finally got it all in the crock pot, turned it on low , and ran out the door to take my poor coughing son to the doctor. The result was croup. Yeah, I knew that already. They gave him a dose of Decadron (a steriod to help open up the lungs) and sent us on our merry way, encouaging us to keep going with the nebulizer treatments. Well, Monday he wasn't feeling any better so it was back to the doctor again (why did my Pediatrician have to go out of town this week?!). Now we're told he is just having a really bad asthma attack. This doctor prescribed Prednisone (same kind of thing as Decadron) but had him take it for more days. She also said to give him breathing treatments very four hours but also do two back to back. He had several that were only 2 hrs apart. It took a long time but he was finally well enough to play with friends. He still coughs but at least he's not wheezing anymore! He coughs every once in a while and it's a LOUD barking cough. At least it doesn't last as long anymore.
Well, being the absent-minded person that I am, it never occurred to me that the crock pot might not be turned on!! So our Easter dinner was cooked chicken strips with BBQ Sauce on top of lettuce. That's about all I could figure out how to make without borrowing even more! What a waste of food!! We didn't realize the crock pot wasn't plugged in until it was too late. Now it's Marshall's turn to be sick. He has a sinus infection and has been coughing more tonight. Here we go again.
For the very first time in Marshall's life, he has slept through the night for 8 nights!! Can I get 9? How about 10? I don't mind. I'm so tickled that he slept through the night 8 times in a row!!!!! He has also continued to be in a good mood. He's been hungry too, which is also a first. Ever since April 2nd, he's been doing so much better!! I can't even begin to tell you how much easier life is. So, what's different you ask? Well, after consulting with a Child Psychiatrist for several hours, his Pediatrician decided to put Marshall on an anti-anxiety/anti-depression medication. Can I just tell you, I have the most wonderful Pediatrician?! He spent several HOURS talking to another doctor about MY SON!!! I'm so happy about that. So far, the medicine has not had any negative results. We also went through a time when Marshall was wetting the bed every night no matter how many times we had him go before bed. Thankfully, this last week he has been dry too. It's so nice. Oh, and he tells everyone that he sleeps on the top bunk. He loves it up there. I love it because he hasn't slept in our room for weeks!! I'm so spoiled...
My eyes are red and swollen and my nose is stuffy.
I just dropped my sister off at the airport. She extended her stay with us and she and her baby have been here for almost a month.
You'd think we would be sick of each other but it was just the opposite, having her here for so long made it so much harder to say good-bye.
How blessed I am to have a sister who is also my dearest friend (apart from Trev, luv ya honey ;)).
Melissa and I basically spent the last 3 weeks sitting around the house taking care of babies, crafting, cooking, nursing, and talking about life, about motherhood, about faith, about our families, about ... everything.
Melissa, I will treasure the memories of these past few weeks forever. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life... I just love you so much.
P.S. Jeff, you are my hero. Thanks for sharing your wonderful wife and sweet baby with us for such a long time. We enjoyed them more than you will ever know and I know you must have missed them dearly. :)
Peter's parents spent the last week here with us, and I wanted to share some pictures of some of the highlights of our week together.
Brody meets his Grandpa (they share the same middle name - Conrad)
Timber discovers the sprinklers.
Timber goes for a swim at the lake
Brody got to spend lots of time rocking with his Grandpa.
3 Generations (Grandpa, Daddy & Brody)
Grandma time
Mommy time - rocking my baby in my new Lazy Boy, which I love! I started out with a glider rocker, and wasn't very impressed with it, so Peter took me to Lazy Boy to pick out a recliner. I didn't think I really wanted a big bulky recliner, but I love it, and I'm sure I will be spending many hours in my Lazy Boy.
Brody stylin' in his Easter outfit from his Granny and Papa.
Brody's first Easter. The Easter Bunny must know how much Brody likes chocolate (second hand, of course).
Brody's first boat ride at 1 month old. This was the smallest life jacket we could find. I'm sure he'll grow into it pretty quickly at the rate he's growing these days.
Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for a great week! Thanks for all the yummy food, and all the work you did around our house. We look forward to seeing you this summer!
So after listening to Benson and Aubrielle fight over the way too small princess bike for the past month, mom and dad decided to give in and buy them each their own bike. Let me just say it has been worth EVERY penny. They love to do laps around and around the garages, and mom loves being able to just sit and ENJOY the outdoors. And Jaycie was spoiled when Dad was home this weekend and got to join in the fun and of course loved every minute of it because she was "BIG". Now that dad is back at work she just follows them around pushing her "scooter" (we'll be in big trouble when she realizes her "scooter" is really just a baby walker).
Here are some pictures from Easter. Growing up my dad would always hide our Easter basket and send us on a search through the house. So I decided Brandon needed to work for his Easter candy and search for his basket too. It took a little while (and some hints) but he finally found it...in the bath tub!Instead of dying Easter eggs we decided to frost sugar cookies. My sister Janae gave us a killer recipe that makes the softest cookies ever. And my mom had mailed us a package with cute Easter cookie cutters. Here are the results. It's just few days later and almost all of these cookies are gone. I think we only have 7 or 8 left.
It was so fun to have my parents and sister with her new baby here for spring break.
(love this shot of Campbell man... he is trouble) We had a great time at the zoo. The lorakeets are always the favorite.
Got to go to the GAP outlet center in Cinci and do a little shoppin... it's tradition.
Lot's of fun hanging out at home and playing with babies.
Lovin on my new niece, Miss Avery. I took lots of pictures of our babies... isn't Avery a doll?! She is like half the size of Davis and she's a week older! I'm so grateful for for such an amazing family.
I love Spring time. It is a time of new life and new beginnings. I love the warming weather and the new buds on the blossoming trees. I also love that it is again time for General Conference. This months General Conference was amazing. I particularly enjoyed Elder Holland's talk about the final week of the Savior's mortal ministry. His talk lead me to study and ponder about my Savior and the event leading up to the crucifiction and the resurrection.
I don't talk a lot about my work on my blog but I want to share an experience I had the other day. For those of you who don't know I am a Registered Nurse. I work on a Cardiac Step-down Unit in Bellevue Washington. Last Friday (Good Friday), I was working a short 'princess shift' from 3pm-7pm. The day was going routinely and I only had a couple hours left until my shift was over. I had an empty bed after discharging a patient and as all you nurses out there know an empty bed never stays empty for long. My charge nurse informed me I would be getting a patient from the Emergency Room and minutes later the ER nurse called up to give me report. This patient was very very sick. He was battling brain and liver cancer along with multiple other conditions secondary to his cancer. He was unresponsive and had many critical clinical and lab findings. I will spare you all the details but before too long the patient was being wheeled down the hall on a stretcher heading for my one empty bed. By the time I arrived in the room the tech and transporter were already moving the patient from stretcher to bed. As soon as we had him in bed I noticed he was not breathing. I could not feel a pulse or hear a heart beat. He was a DNR/DNI or no code. This meant he did not want any life saving measures to prolong his life. His journey in mortality had ended. The family had followed the patient up from the ER and were in our waiting room. I called the doctor and he came up to break the news to his wife of more than 60 years. The family wept together. I felt terrible for the family's loss. It hit me at that moment how devastating death would be without a testimony of the Savior and the resurrection. My patient's journey in this life had ended, but I knew that this was not the end for him. I knew that Christ had broken the bands of death and had overcome the grave so that we might live with Him again and with our families forever. I wanted nothing more than to give the family the peace that I had felt during times of death in my family that comes with a knowledge of the resurrection.
"We solemly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.
"He rose from the grave to 'become the firstfruits of them that slept' (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His 'other sheep' (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised 'dispensation of the fullness of times' (Ephesians 1:10)." --The Living Christ
I am so grateful for the Restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith. I know Christ leads His church today through modern day revelation given to our living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. I am grateful for the blessings the restored gospel brings into my life. On Saturday morning Brandon and I attended the baptism of one of our friends. Hanna and her husband had moved into our ward from California. Her husband had been brought up in the church but had become inactive. They moved into our ward and came across the missionaries. Hanna is every missionary's dream...a real 'golden contact.' She was so excited about learning the gospel from the beginning and still continues to have that excitement to learn more everyday. Together her and her husband have taken the missionary discussions and have become active in the church. Just today I went with the missionaries to teach a young mother living in our building. She has many questions and really wants to find the truth about God and religion. I love how the spirit fills the room when we talk about the Savior and the Restoration of the gospel. I love the light that the gospel brings into the world and into my life. I love my Savior and I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His church on the earth today!
"He lives! All glory to His name! He lives, my Savior still the same. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!"
So I hit the BIG 2-5 on April 3rd and am now a quarter century old!!! It sure sounds a lot older than it feels. I had a great day! Here it is...
TOP TEN THINGS THAT MADE MY DAY
10. I didn't have to work!
9. I got to sleep in...well at least until Brandon had to get up to go to work.
8. I went for a good run...about 5 miles. Even though it was on a treadmill it still felt great despite my aging body.
7. I got an unusually high volume of phone calls, emails, voice messages, cards, and facebook posts from friends and family! THANKS everybody!!!
6. My parents sent me a surprise package with a Wii Fit. I think Brandon likes it more than me!
5. I got to spend some time downtown at the Market. Surprisingly I don't make it across the lake very much.
4. We went to Mc Cormick's and had delicious fish. Mmmmmm!!
3. My amazing husband gave a me a Canon Rebel camera that I've wanted for YEARS!!! Now I just have to figure out how to use all the gadgets and buttons.
2. We stayed up late watching Marley & Me and eating freshly baked brownies from a box...two of my favorite things!
1. THE SUN CAME OUT!!! Just like I was hoping! I think Brandon pulled some strings with Mother Nature. It had been weeks since we'd seen the sun and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift.
The kids all dressed up for Easter. These are actually the girls' dresses from last year, but they were just way too cute and still fit, so here they are for round #2! (And of course Jaycie wouldn't smile in front of the flower bush, she preferred the side walk :)
Easter egg hunt and Easter Bunny treats
Easter Egg decorating, and truthfully I did it while Jaycie was asleep, but figured if I took a picture of her after the mess was all cleaned up she'd never know the difference :) (Can you tell she's the 3rd?)
Comet Doggengadget Marshall Jingle Fett Steven Batman Bucklein. I builded bazookas for my amazing trick. Cuz it's gonna be big monsters to fight and my arm hurts. Uh. I love cheese and crackers. I'm playing a game where I am Jingle Fett (Jango Fett) and these are my bazookas and I'm going on a trip where there are really huge monsters.
This little boy of mine totally cracks me up!!! I'm always laughing at something silly he says. He said that Daddy is silly like jelly. I love the funny things kids say.
On Tuesday, we took Brody's Granny and Papa (my parents) to the airport, and had to say goodbye to them. We were sad to see them go. We appreciate all that they did for us while they were here. My mom got to spend almost four weeks with us, and my dad was here for about a week and a half. They took great care of us. We were well fed, the house was cleaned, the yard made some great improvements, all the laundry was done, and we got some much needed sleep because they took the night shift with Brody. Mom would just bring Brody in to me when he was hungry, and she took care of all the middle of the night diaper changes and whatever other needs Brody may have had. I'm sure they went home exhausted, and they were probably ready to get back to their "reality," but we sure enjoyed having them here. Thanks Mom and Dad for all that you did for us!
A few hours after we dropped off his Granny and Papa, we picked up his Grandma and Grandpa (Peter's parents) at the airport. They are here for a week taking care of us and spoiling us.
We love having family come to visit, and wish we lived closer to our families so we could get together more often.
Here are a few pictures of Brody with his Papa (my dad).
Here are some pictures of Brody and Papa playing with the soccer ball from Papa and Granny. My dad wrote little inspirational sayings all over the ball.
My parents bought this cuddly little bear for Brody, and my mom took the music box out of one of my stuffed animals, and sewed it into this bear. It plays "I Am a Child of God," and I love it!!! Thanks Mom and Dad! I'm sure it will be well used.
After a few days of nursing, I was going crazy trying to remember what time I fed my baby last, and which side I was supposed to start on next. My cousins wife Kathryn had a post on her craft blog of these nursing bracelets she had made. I just had to have one (or two), so here are the bracelets I made with the help of Angie and Peter.
The numbers are the hours and there are three beads between each hour bead which represent 15 minute intervals. Then you get a little charm, and clip your charm on the bracelet at whatever time you fed your baby. Then, you move the bracelet to the wrist on whichever side you last fed your baby on, so you know which side to start on next time. This has been such a lifesaver, and I've received lots of compliments on it. I even gave one away to a friend at her baby shower, and all the other girls were asking me where I got it. Thanks Kathryn for the great idea!
Brody really seems to enjoy bath time. We're hoping that means he'll enjoy swimming when he gets a little bigger. Here are some pictures of his last bath with his Granny.
My sister spent a week here with us, and we had lots of fun while she was here. I'm not sure where the time went, but we're sure glad she made the trip down. While she was here we got to visit the Alamo and Riverwalk in San Antonio. Come back soon Ang, and next time bring the whole family!
Here are a few belated pictures of Brody. We took these pictures a while ago, but I am so far behind on blogging, so I'm trying to catch up. This is one of my favorite outfits, and I'm afraid he has already outgrown it. He is quickly outgrowing the newborn outfits (so sad!)
What a fun mail-box surprise we had today; Emily finally finished the "girl I-spy" quilt. (Benson got the "boy" one a few Christmases ago and Aubrielle has been bugging Emily non-stop for about 4 months now). Anyway, Aubrielle was thrilled when she read that the package was for her (not her dad who's bday is on Sunday) and thoroughly enjoyed opening the quilt and playing with it. It has 2 matching squares of a bunch of different fun fabrics and the kids just love it. (These pictures do it no justice) Thanks so much for all your hard work Emily, you are the best!
Benson bought Aubrielle some princess math workbooks for her birthday and she ran across a subtraction page that she didn't know how to do. She asked me how to do it and since I was still trying to finish my dinner, I attempted to give a 3-second subtraction lesson. I said, "Okay, let's say you have 5 pieces of candy and then you eat 3, how many would you have left?" Of course Benson, my soft spoken little sweetheart, who I had no idea was even listening, immediatlely grumbles in a soft yet bullying voice, "None, cause you brother take them all." I guess we all have our days.
Those of you who have known Aubrielle since she was a baby, or at least seen pictures, are probably well aware of the stork bite she has on her forehead. It's still noticable, just not nearly as bad as it was when she was a baby (people used to come up to us and say, "Oh, did she hit her head?"...it was that bright). Anyway, a few days ago it came up and we were talking to Aubrielle about her "special spot" on her forehead and telling her how no one else in the family was lucky enough to get a stork bite, so that made her special. She of course thought this was great as she loves any and all attention. So of course a few days later I was confused as I heard her excitedly yell, "Look dad!! You've got a stork bite too!!" Camron however wasn't as impressed that the zit on his forehead stuck out so much.... :) Don't worry, I'm sure she's the only one that noticed :)
Ah, it's nice to have some good days. Thursday morning, Marshall woke up in a pretty good mood. He slept in and was not grumpy when he woke up. For breakfast, he ate one egg, a whole container of yogurt and a slice of toast. For him, that's a HUGE meal!!!! Then he actually got dressed ALL BY HIMSELF!! That is a first for him. We were so excited!! We kept telling him how great he did. He kept eating good all weekend and has been pretty happy. It's nice to have a break from the downward spiral he was in. He can be such a loving boy. He loves to come in my room in the morning and snuggle up to me while he finishes waking up. I love it!
We had a good visit with Marshall's pediatrician. He looked at Marshall's fine motor test results and is willing to help us fight the school district for services if we have to. Marshall's fine motor skills are in the FIRST percentile for grasping but he is normal for hand eye coordination. Overall, his fine motor skills are in the 5th percentile. We have a lot of work to do with this kid but he will get it. He always does! Isn't he a great kid?
Hallie looked like an angel in white and the spirit was so strong.
I was so thankful to be there to feel it and be reminded of the covenants I have made.
Sunday we blessed Davis. He is growing so fast.
Seriously, he brings me so much happiness.
My mom, dad, and my sister Melissa and her baby came from Utah to be here for the baptism and Davis's blessing, and even stayed for Hallie and Megan's spring break.
Poor Timber has been feeling somewhat neglected lately with so much attention being paid to Brody, so last weekend we took Timber out to the lake, which we hadn't done for quite a while. He definitely enjoys the water more than he did the last time we took him out. He was a little naughty puppy at times though, so we had to keep him on a leash most of the time. Here are some fun pictures of our most recent lake outing with Timber.
(I started this post several days ago, and never got around to finishing it until now. Since this lake outing, we have been to the lake with Timber two more times. Once we went with some friends and their golden doodle Rocky. Timber and Rocky had a blast together! We plan to go on many more lake outings with Rocky.)
My great friend Leslie threw Brody and me a baby shower last Saturday. It was a great little party celebrating Brody's arrival, and Leslie is such a great party thrower. I had been looking forward to this shower for months, ever since she first asked me if she could throw me a shower. The first thing I saw when I walked into her house was this adorable diaper cake. Then I saw these adorable letters which I had been wanting, but knew I would never get around to making them, and they definitely wouldn't have been this cute if I made them. Sorry, this is not the best picture, and it doesn't do justice to how cute these letters are, but I will take a better picture when I get them hung up on the wall in the nursery. Here are a few more pictures from the shower.
L to R: Leslie, Dianne & Amy
L to R: Lisa, Lacey, me & Angie
L to R: Jennifer & Vicki
L to R: Vicki & Leslie
My mom was there too, but unfortunately since she was the photographer she didn't make it into any of the pictures. Thanks Mom for all the pictures.
I think Brody had a great time be snuggled by everyone. He was definitely the highlight of the party. Thanks ladies for all the great baby gifts. They will all be put to good use. Thank you Leslie for a great little party. It was perfect!
We will bless our little girl Hadley on the 31st of this month. So this sunday. It will be done in Spokane at Jim and Debbys ward. We would love to see any one who feels inclined to attend.
This morning was a fly day. Mack, Bill, Camron and I all went flying at the break of dawn....well close enough, it was early. Wish you were here Trevor.
All the kiddos, who got along great together.
Mike and Steph's cute family.
Our cute family. ;)
This is Firefighter Brian dressed up in all his gear. 
Instead of dying Easter eggs we decided to frost sugar cookies. My sister Janae gave us a killer recipe that makes the softest cookies ever. And my mom had mailed us a package with cute Easter cookie cutters. Here are the results. It's just few days later and almost all of these cookies are gone. I think we only have 7 or 8 left. 
