Lava Hot Springs

Shannnon had made up a cute bag for each family. Each grand kid had a two new swim suites and all of us had new water shoes and a cute t-shirt. Thanks grandma for the fun bag.

Claire having fun with the water balloons. The kids have a great time filling the balloons and throwing them at the people going down the river.

The boys playing croquet.

River fun

Jeff braving the cold water to make a river run. He was a great dad taking his kids on countless river trips while their party pooper mom stayed on shore.

I love this picture of Ky and Jen.

Cute Lucy waiting her turn on the river




Handsome Henry!

Gotta love that cute face.

Lydia and I spent a lot of time in the hotel room. I decided this was a good time to try out my new camera and get a few pictures of Lydia.

Jeff had his birthday Friday the 19th and Lynae had made a cake. Happy birthday Jeffy I love you tons and tons.

Grandma and Grandpa with the grandkids minus Brigdon who was born on the 16th.

The whole family.

This years trip to Lava was a little wet and a little cold, but we still had a great time and it was fun being with everyone.

My Baby Girl

I know I know, I haven't posted anything about the new addition to our family. Well here are some pics of our cute Lydia and the story of her birth........

I was due April 6th. I went to my normal doctors appointment on March 31st to discover I had elevated blood pressure. It was high enough and I was close enough to my due date that the doctor decided it was time to have this baby. We decided that since the next day was April fools day we would hold off until the second. I left the office with instructions to go home and take it easy for the next day and a half, and I did.

Thursday morning rolls around and I am a nervous wreck. I have never been induced with any of my other kids so this is all new to me. I call the hospital at 7 am as instructed by the doctor only to be told by the nurse to call back in 30 minutes. I anxiously find things to do to pass the time. At exactly 7:30 I call the hospital and am told to come on in.

Jeff was going to take the kids to school and then come to the hospital so my mom comes and picks me up. We get to the hospital, I am shown my room and begin the process of labor induction. I am having contractions on my own so they give me only a small dose of pitosin. My nurse informs me that if I want an epidural I might as well have it before the pain gets too bad and we have to want for the doctor. I agree and I get the epidural from the nicest anaesthesiologist. So wonderful.

Things begin to move rather quickly. I started to feel some pain so the doc comes back in to give me a little "boost" of pain medication. This only works on one side but it was a little relief. Shortly after his visit I begin to feel pressure, this baby is coming! They call in Doctor Later, they set up the bed, I turn over, and the baby is born. No pushing required. SWEET!

Jeff tells me we have a girl, and Doctor Later shows her to me. She is handed off to the nursery nurse, worked on in the room for a few minutes and then rushed out to the nursery. I am told she isn't breathing well and that she needs help. I am then told she is being transported to Primary Childrens. I don't remember much more than that because I was so emotional.
The next thing I know the transport team is at the hospital and ready to take my brand new baby away. I am crying, my mom is crying, Jeff's mom is crying, and we are all praying everything will be OK. Then the nurse walks in and tells us she is doing better and that she is going to stay. She stays in the nursery the rest of that day and night. By the next afternoon she is just fine and able to be with me.

Finally

I was talking to Frankie yesterday telling him it was his last day of preschool today. His response to me was "YES, I finally get a break!" I cracked up. Those four hours a week of playing, crafts, snacks, and listening to stories can be grueling.

What am I in for when he is in high school? I am praying now that he graduates.

I have a movie star

I know my blogging has been few and far between, but Jeff got me my own laptop for Christmas, so I hope to posting more frequently.

I was sitting here thinking about what I should blog about and Jeff reminded me of a conversation I had with a guy at the store a few months ago.

Frank and I had run to the store and he was sitting in the cart. We were in the check out line and the guy behind me said "that is one good looking kid." I said "Thank you we think he is pretty cute." Now every parent has had this conversation at one time or another and it makes you feel good that other people think your kids are as cute as you do. Well this guy took it one step further. I had turned my back to him and was paying attention to Frankie and I hear behind me "that kid looks like a damn movie star." I was amused and have had a good chuckle about it several times.

A victory for the left

I know I have been away for awhile and I don't know if a political post is the best way to re-enter the blogging world but here goes.

It is no secret that I am a conservative. I am a Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh lovin conservative. I hate big government and I wish the politicians in Washington would get out of our lives and let us be. I believe the governments job is to protect the boarders, fix the roads and provide defence. I think Capitalism is what makes this country great and I will always defend big oil and Wal-Mart.

With that being said I want to share my amusing election night story.

I love to watch the returns every year, whether its a presidential year or not. This year no exception. I was alone watching because Jeff was at his bishop appointments. I was tuned into Fox because I am a conservative. I was somewhat disheartened to see Obama up in the Electoral College but I remained optimistic.

Let me pause here and say I was not thrilled with John McCain, but in my opinion his policies were more along my views than Obama's.

I was excited to see the popular vote was close but Obama just kept inching his way ever closer to that magic 270 mark of the Electoral votes. Finally the winner was declared, Obama was the next President of the United States of America. I immediately started to cry and not for the same reason Jesse Jackson and Oprah were crying. I was sad, sad that the most liberal senator in US history had just become president. Sad that his policies are Socialistic and that scares me. But I think most of it came from being four months pregnant. I decide I cant watch his acceptance speech so I grab a magazine and head to the bathtub for a soak. In the meantime Jeff comes home to sobbing wife. I tell him I cant believe Obama has won and that he is going to lead our country down a dangerous path. He assures me things are going to be alright, and to calm down.

Come the next morning things are looking better to me. I realize that we have just made history by electing a black man to the White House. I decide with the help of Glenn Beck that it is my job as an American to support Obama and pray for him. I will support him as long as his decisions don't compromise my values.

We have come a long way as Americans and this is the greatest nation in the world. I hope and pray that Obama will lead with humility and a prayer in his heart. Lets see what the next four years bring.

Frankie is three

Frankie turned three on June first, I and cant believe he is three already. He was two weeks early and made his way into this world at 6:30pm. I wasn't expecting to have a baby that day and had lots of plans. Needless to say that has been the case with Frankie ever since. He has his own time table and trying to convince him otherwise is difficult.

Frankie is all boy as most of you know. He likes everything boy, from balls and sports to wrestling and punching. I have told this story quite a bit but for those of you who haven't heard it this is my example of the conversations I have with Frank.

Frankie: Mom do Calvin know hoe to punch?

ME: I don't think so.

Frankie: Do Mary know how to punch?

Me: Ya she probably knows how to punch.

Frankie: Ok.

I guess if you know how to punch you are ok in Frankie's book.

Frankie is tons of fun. He has a belly laugh that can make you smile no matter your mood, he is always doing kicks and punching moves which are "belarious", and he loves to snuggle.

Thanks to all the fam who came to his three year old bash. We had a great time and he has loved all of his gifts.

PS A special thanks to Ky for the cute tank birthday cake.

Laundry!

I spent the entire day doing laundry. Its not a choir I mind, in fact folding clothes is one of my favorite things. I love to smell each towel before I fold it (I know a little weird), I like the stacks of clean clothes waiting to be put in their respective places, and my favorite is the thirty seconds all the hampers in the house are empty. With all that being said, I am just about ready to got out of my mind if I have to do another load of laundry. Let me elaborate....

Since June of last year I have had a leaky washer. It is not the machine itself, it is the drain that the washer goes into. Every time I hear that the load is going to drain I have to run to catch it. When I get to the washer I then have to turn it off and on so only a little bit of water drains at a time. There have been plenty of occasions I have missed this and I end up with water all over my floor. I usually swear and hope my kids don't hear, then proceed to pull the dryer out and mop up the mess. I guess this wouldn't be so bad if my laundry wasn't in my kitchen and the water from many spills hadn't ruined my flooring.

I know I should be grateful that I have a washer and dryer and that I don't have to wash my clothes in a creek. But I am getting tired of leaving my house and 10 minuets out thinking D@#N I forgot to turn the washer off before I left the house.