I've Been Tagged

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.

C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.



10 Years Ago:
I was in my Junior year at BYU working on my Dietetics degree (which I had changed to that year from Dental Hygiene and which I changed again a couple years later to Health Science/Community Health which is what I graduated in! Luckily a lot of the classes overlapped!) having lots of fun! Later that year I went on my mission for my Church to the Belgium Brussels Mission!

5 Things On My To Do List Tomorrow (today for me):
1. Tidy up the house for the babysitter...yes...a babysitter. It's official! We're going out!
2. Get a meal together for the boys for when we're gone.
3. Get myself ready to go. It's a 5 star restaurant! Fun!
4. Pick up the babysitter.
5. I don't know...but I'm sure I'm forgetting something!

Snacks I enjoy:
Frozen blueberries and frozen grapes, "homemade" popcorn (not microwave), Reese's Fastbreak, and I have to say homemade bread with only butter (not a big jam fan) since I can't get it off my mind after reading my cousin's list and then seeing it on my sister's list!

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire?
Oh boy! Get rid of student loans so we'd have zero debt and then I would enjoy...a new wardrobe, a scheduled regular visit to a really great salon, buy a Toyota FJ Cruiser (I've NEVER been nuts or obsessed about a vehicle before but for some reason I just LOVE this one! In black or silver...), I'd get someone to come in to help me clean 2-3 times a month, buy a new camera, take a photography class, a digital scrapbook class, and a photoshop class, get a new couch in a color and fabric we like, buy some land and build a house-somewhere where your neighbor can't look into your bathroom window from their family room window, and the list most CERTAINLY goes on and on and on...

3 Of My Bad Habits:
1. I stay up way too late.
2. I start projects and don't always finish them. I try to stick to projects that can be accomplished within two days. That seems to be my limit for most things. I like things done FAST! But mostly I just don't have anywhere to do projects except for the dining room aka: Grand Central Station.
3. I spend too much time on the computer. It's in our dining room so I make the excuse that I'm "with everyone" but I know it doesn't count. Trying to be better at that this year!

5 places I have lived:
1. Tribune, Kansas
2. Provo, Utah
3. Colorado Springs and Monument, Colorado
4. Seattle, Washington
5. Calais, Nancy, and Lille, France and Charleroi, Belgium.

5 Jobs that I have had:
1. Stocker at the BYU Creamery (the FREEZER stocker I should add! Brrrr!)
2. Dental Assistant
3. Helped a lady with her interior design business and cleaned her house every week
4. Safeway-Checker, Produce Department, and Deli Department
5. Chiropractic assistant and rehab (probably my most favorite job I've ever had.)

Things people don't know about me:
I have a thought that runs through my head every single time I put my conditioner in. I've had this same thought since early High School at least! And I never think this thought except for at this time! LOL Hint: It does have something to do with conditioner so maybe that's why! I took piano lessons from age 8 to 18 and still can't play hymns for some reason. I call it "hymn-phobia". I love, love, love to dance. Every single semester at BYU I took a dance class. Country dancing is my favorite. I am lucky to have married someone who loves to dance as much as I do. Someday we want to take official dance classes together and actually GO dancing! I have never been away from my kids overnight except for when I'm in the hospital while one of them is born.

I tag:

Ashley
Carrie
Beth
Becca

In the News...

...Austin received his very first CTR ring from the Bishop at church yesterday for his birthday. He was very proud of it and after trying it on every single one of his 10 fingers, he decided he liked it best on his right ring finger. He asked Dada when he should take it off...like in case he needed to work with rocks or dirt...and had it all figured out. Today he wore it proudly to school. Then he came home to play in the backyard and was "running really fast and then jumped high up on a "hill" (dirt mound) and looked down and it was gone!" I don't know if the lightning fast speed of the run or the impact of landing after the jump did it but it's gone. Must have flown off! We've tried everything short of a metal detector and can't seem to find it. It was fun while it lasted...less than 24 hours.

...Dallin did his first big bike ride all by himself on Saturday. We decided to go to the park where there is a great biking/jogging trail on Saturday and it was really nice. For one thing it was nice and chilly and overcast and all the warm blooded Texans had their fireplaces going and it smelled great! I told Tory, "Wow! It smells like Fall!" Little late, I know, but at least we can enjoy it! Austin rode his new scooter he got for his birthday, I pushed the stroller, and Dallin did his bike with a little guidance from Tory. Usually the poor child ends up having to walk, ride in the double stroller with Coen, or the bike trailer...depending on the length of the route. Saturday we did at least 4 miles and he rode his bike the entire way. He did really great on the uphills and could make it to the top every time! (Even Austin has a hard time on the uphills!) He must have very strong little legs! Tory helped him maneuver on the hills and curves and by the end he was picking up speed and had mastered the brakes. And he probably only had 10-15 crashes! (In his defense...some of them were caused by Austin crashing into him or being the "protector" see previous post and grabbing his handles to keep him "safe".) Yeah Dallin! (Now Austin on the other hand...whew! He did great but when he went too fast or too slow he crashed. He probably had at least 30 crashes! LOL Good thing he had his elbow and knee pads on!)

...Coen went to nursery for the first time yesterday and did GREAT! Yeah! He cried for the first 30 seconds they said, and then he found all of the cars and animals and was in heaven! I hope he continues to do well! You just never know. But he loved it and even gave his teacher a "high five" as he left. He looked so big in his tiny little way! He is certainly the tiniest guy in there! Our ward has a HUGE nursery so they divide it into two classes. One room has the little people and the other room has the "older" little people. I think this helps a lot! Not so many "big" kids and just fewer kids in general. We're keeping our fingers crossed for next week!

That's just a little of what's been happening around here the last few days. Always more to come!

Happy 6th Birthday Austin!

Today Austin is 6 years old! Wow! Where has the time gone? He is getting so big though and has really grown so much just in the last few months. He's getting so tall! Austin is such a wonderful little boy. He's so polite and such a great helper. Austin's little trademark is his hair. Where most people have one hair swirl in the back...he has three! And they go opposite directions! So he always has a bit of a cowlick sticking up. So cute. When he was a baby and his hair was finer it wouldn't stay down at all even with gel.

Austin was born in Colorado Springs. Our first ultrasound to find out if he was a boy or a girl was on September 11, 2001. We walked into the waiting room and everyone was staring at the TV with shock. We knew something was going on. We sat down and watched the TV just in time to see the second plane hit. What a day to remember...in more ways than one. Up until that point Tory thought it was a girl but when he saw that he said, "This world is too crazy for a little girl. It must be a boy." And sure enough! What a surprise!

I was in labor with constant contractions for about 3 days. He took a long time to get here but was so worth it! He had really red hair when he was born and of course the first thing I noticed was his three hair swirls. At that point they were still flat! Ha! He weighed 7 lbs. 2.8 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches long. And of course he was the cutest little guy in the entire world!

The most memorable thing that happened during my labor with Austin was Tory fainting. Well, I can't really say he fainted...more like went into shock and passed out. I was hooked up to all my wires and had just gotten my epidural, the nurses had all left, and was feeling pretty good about myself. Luckily it was a low dose one because all of a sudden I looked over at Tory (who was sitting in the rocking chair at the foot of the bed) and his eyes rolled back into his head, mouth came open, and he started slouching really bad. I buzzed the nurses but no one came. He was starting to fall and all I could picture was him hitting the floor with his head or teeth or something. So I jumped out of my bed and grabbed him just as he was falling to the ground. Just then the nurses came in. I gladly let them take over and help me back into bed. I think I was running on pure adrenalin! (Of course after the adrenaline wore off I realized that I was probably flashing everyone since I had on the lovely hospital gown and wasn't really paying attention to how the flap was closed in the back!) As far as we can figure he was just extremely fatigued and hadn't eaten in who knows how long. Being the devoted 1st time father, he had seen to my every need for those 3 days and I don't think he took much time for himself. Poor guy. But then again...maybe he was just trying to steal my thunder? He got sent to the ER and had an EKG done and everything! We got a double bill for that delivery!

We're so thankful for Austin and I can't think of a better big brother. He takes his role very seriously and is the protector and guardian of the other boys. We don't ever have to fear losing a child in a store with Austin on duty. The entire store knows if we move out of site! And what we find is Austin on top of the "missing" brother. Oh, yes. He'll tackle them down and pin them there until we backtrack the two steps to where they are. I've seen him pull them down by the collars of their shirts! Oh boy...at least he's aware of them I guess! Austin's favorite question since he learned the word is "Why?" Even today. It's so very hard to watch a movie with Austin. But what can you do? The child craves learning! He is such a fun boy with a clever sense of humor. I am so thankful for him every single day. Happy Birthday Austin! I sure love you!

Hey, Boy!

Our family is big on nicknames, as I've mentioned before. The most recent one for Coen cracks me up! Dallin has been calling him "Boy" lately. He'll say, "Come here Boy!" or "Do you need some help Boy?" or "Let's go outside Boy!" So funny! Sounds like Coen's a little puppy dog or something. And speaking of the Boy, here are some fun things about Coen. He is 18 months old and such a fun little guy!

*He has suddenly decided that he loves to watch "Cars" and knows how to get it, put his little pointer finger in the hole so he doesn't scratch it, loads it, turns everything on, and then waits for someone to help with the TV. How does a little kid learn stuff like this? He'll sit through the entire movie, too! My other boys had absolutely NO desire to even LOOK at the TV until they were 2 years old.

*He knows all his body parts and can point to them...if he's in the mood. (And he's got attitude! Check out these pictures I took of him today. He didn't get his way with something and took himself to the corner to pout. Such sass! But so cute!)

*When watching "Cars" there is a part at the beginning when Sheryl Crow's song is playing and there's a line in the song when she says, "Uh!" and apparently that's his FAVORITE part. He never misses a beat and says it every time. I even have to concentrate on the song to remember when that one line comes in!

*He likes to squish up his nose and flatten it out just like his Auntie Kir used to do when she was a baby! So funny!

*His favorite thing to do is play cars and trucks with the big boys and ride his stick horse.

*He loves, Loves, LOVES baths and will drop anything and everything to take one. The other day I accidentally told him to go tell Dada he needs a "bath" instead of "drink" (what was I THINKING?!) and he ran to Tory, grabbed his hand and led him to the bathtub. Tory was a little confused because it was the middle of the day. I had some explaining to do and a little boy to make happy (thank goodness for "Cars"!)

*He loves bananas and can down one in about 5 seconds flat!

*And the best part...he is my most snugly, cuddly boy in the world! And he gives the best kisses!

Christmas Day

Christmas morning Austin and Dallin woke up at about 7:00...their usual time. We turned on all the lights, plugged in the tree, and woke up Coen. They were so excited and happy to see that Santa had come! Dallin noticed first thing that Santa drank all the milk and ate most of his snacks AND left a note for them!

Austin's major "wish" was to get a ball gun. He was thrilled!

Dallin was excited about his trucks. He and Austin have been having lots of fun driving their remote controls...without wires (very important detail!)

Coen got a little tractor and animals and a stick horse. It doesn't take much to make this little fella happy!

I love this picture of the boys. Dallin got Austin a silver truck at the dollar store and you can see that Austin was VERY happy about it!

Coen with his animal puppets and snake.

I love these helmets and shields the boys got. Great protection against Austin's ball gun!

Tory's ladder and shop-vac. These are two items that were totally worth getting up for on the day after Thanksgiving! Wowzers! When you can find a deal like that it's worth it!

Tory made me a TABLE! Wow! He's been talking about making one for awhile now and we've had our eye on a specific design, but I never thought that's what I'd be getting this year! Of course it's not finished yet. I'm thinking I want him to stain the top an oak color and then paint the bottom black. He's also making benches (he's actually finished them between Christmas and now) and I'm thinking I'll have him stain the tops and paint the bottoms black on them, too. What do you think? Tory just cringes at the thought of PAINTING wood! But I think it would be super cute. At any rate...I LOVE the table! And I'm so excited to say goodbye to our old chairs. Upholstered chairs on wheels + little boys = very messy, lots of tip-overs, and chipped walls! Tory also had another great surprise for me! He wrote me a BOOK!!!! That's right...a book! He's been working on it for a good month now in is "spare" time. He still has a ways to go but let me tell you, so far so GOOD! It's called "Discovery" and the main character is Brookella. She has curly brown hair, blue eyes, hmmmm....I can't wait for him to finish! Now I just have to keep encouraging him to work on it! The suspense is killing me!

And finally, to end our day, Tory made a wonderful dinner for us! All by himself! I wasn't feeling very good and he just took over! (Actually he didn't have anything to "take over". He planned it, shopped for it, and made it!) He made a ham, scalloped potatoes, a green bean dish, sweet potatoes, and the most fabulous fruit salad with kiwi, cherries, watermelon, mandarin oranges, little miniature bananas, pineapple, strawberries, pears, and apples! (I don't think I'm forgetting anything...) It was soooo good! And I think he's going to have to keep his apron handy! He's a great cook!

Christmas Eve

Well I've finally gotten around to posting about Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas here at home. It was the first Christmas we've been ALL alone since we've been married. It was really fun though. The boys are at the perfect age where everything is fun and magical and that helped make it cheery for all! We had a great Christmas Eve. Tory made us homemade Clam Chowder and then we dressed up in our nativity costumes that my sister Heather made for us last year. That was really fun. Austin really wanted to be the angel, Dallin was a shepherd, I was Mary (who else could play the part in our family?!), Dada was Joseph, and Coen was Baby Jesus. Coen loved posing in his costume in front of the tree and we had a hard time getting him to move afterwards! So he's in the background for almost everybody's individual pictures. Funny little boy! We then watched "Mr. Kruger's Christmas" which is my absolute favorite. I've been watching that movie on Christmas Eve since I was a kid! Then we opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa. They are starting a new tradition this year by giving pj's to all the grandkids on Christmas Eve. Not only did the boys LOVE them...they were in desperate NEED of them! They all looked so cute and cozy! We then opened our Christmas Eve family present (Tory wraps it with special wooden handles he has made for each person in the family. They are connected with ribbon and on the count of three we all pull our handles to unwrap the present. Very fun!) which is always a game. We got "Whack a Mole". It was pretty fun but impossible to play with little Coen! The boys set out the milk and "cookies" (the boys ate all of Santa's cookies so we set out homemade cinnamon popcorn and caramels instead!) for Santa and sprinkled Reindeer Food on the lawn and off to bed they went! It was a fun evening! But of course the fun was just beginning for Mom and Dad......