Party Man

Tonight I'm all alone with the kids. Tory was invited to a party before the big release of Christopher Paolini's new book Brisingr which comes out at midnight. It's the third book in the Eragon series. Tory's been waiting forever for this one. He's read the other two books and has listened to each of them a few times each on audio book when he was going to school and had his long rides in the car every day. I have to admit I haven't had the chance to read them yet but I have heard some of the story on audio book and they sound really good! I want to read them some day. So of course I have to joke with him about this party with all the teenagers. Guess he's still "cool" enough to invite! LOL Now the real question...is he young enough to handle the late night? He has an early morning screening to do for work in the morning but I'm guessing I know what he'll be doing for the rest of the day. Reading, reading, reading....

Getting Back Into It

Yesterday I had my 6 week checkup at the doctor's office. Has it really been 6 weeks?! After over an hour of waiting time and a 2 minute checkup, I passed the test. Everything looks good and I'm free to do as I please. (With 3 other little ones already at home, I have to say I've had to "do as I please" long ago!) But really I feel good. I've felt great since day 5! I don't think I've ever recovered this quickly. I KNOW I haven't. Maybe there IS something to be said about scheduling after all.

But anyway, I decided to start in on my "official" exercising plan today. I was interested to see how I'd feel. I still just can't believe that I haven't had any pain after day 5 except for a strange episode where I think I just pulled a muscle and it took some time to heal again. So I headed to the park and went for a jog today. It felt so good to be moving again! I didn't want to overdo it and just took it slow. But I did run for 20 minutes which is more than I've done for several months! Then I walked to fill up 45 minutes. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow but I'm excited to be out there again. And the best part...the weather has been sooo nice and cool! Heavenly. We haven't had our AC on for 3 days now. I can't even remember the last day (or night) that we haven't had the AC on! We just leave the windows open all day and it gets nice and chilly at night! Maybe not like our Colorado nights we used to have but chilly for us! It's so fun to sleep under covers again! I've had to bundle Claire up a little more at night so she'll stay warm.

And the other best part...since Tory works so close to home for once in our married lives, I can go running ALL BY MYSELF before he leaves! No double stroller (and we're talking the "normal" double strollers-a jogging stroller is still only in my dreams) and no stopping to help kids get up those big hills (that's always tricky trying to run, push the stroller, and hold onto the back of a bike all while trying to stay in your own lane up the hill because let me tell you, someone is ALWAYS passing by us right at those times!) or dust off one of the boys after the millionth crash on their bike or scooter. It was so nice! Oh, and I can listen to my music turned up as loud as I want. When I'm with the kids, IF I'm lucky enough to even be able to listen to my music, I have to turn it down really low so I can hear them. They have a lot to say on our walks and they'll just keep calling "Mamma, Mamma!" until I respond! So...here's to getting back into it and out on the trail again! Now I've just got to stick to it!

Really Great Ears

The boys are very interested in owls now days (thanks to Nana's recent visit). Tonight we were watching "The Secret of Nimh" and the scene where Mrs. Brisby goes to visit the Great Owl came on.

Dallin asked, "Mamma, how does the Great Owl know that mouse is coming? Does he have really great ears?"

I replied, "Yes. Owls can hear really well. They have really great ears."

He says, "Even greater than YOURS?!"

After laughing to myself I answer, "Yes, even greater than my ears."

A little more time went by in the scene and he said, "That owl knows everything. He's so smart. That's why he's called the Great Owl."

Now I'm just wondering what gives him the impression that I have such great ears? I must have caught him in the act of some sort of mischief a time or two! So funny!

Welcome Babies!

This has been a week full of new babies!

Monday the 8th a friend of mine from church had her baby girl-Maggie. She is their first girl after three boys like us!

Then Friday the 12th our friends James and Rachael who used to live here and who went to school with Tory had their baby boy-Liam Brady.

Also on the 12th my cousin Holly's baby girl was born-Ada Belle.

And then yesterday morning, the 14th, the newest member of our family was born! My sister Heather had her little girl. Little Marlee Helena. She is so cute! I think she looks like her big sister for sure! Welcome to the world little babies! How fun!

Claire is very excited to play with you someday Marlee!

Random Cuteness

Here are some random pictures of the kids taken recently:

Coen Playing

Mama reading to the boys

The boys love the show "Underdog" and now like to fly around in makeshift capes. Who would have thought this would be the show to get them interested in wearing a cape?!

Once again in a cape. I found Coen in this position behind the couch playing. Cute kid.

Tagged Again

Tagged--My cousin Kaylee tagged me on this one. It's a fun one…just put the first answer that comes to mind.

i am: a mother to 4 beautiful little children
i think: Texas should trade places with Arizona so we could be in Texas and close to family at the same time!
i know: I am blessed
i want: an elliptical machine...and an extra room in my house to put it in
i dislike: when you're talking to someone and you can tell they're not listening
i miss: Family! They're all so far away!
i fear: deep water
i feel: anxious for Tory. He's taking more boards tomorrow and Sunday!
i hear: 3 little boys playing in the family room and a little baby girl making sounds in her sleep beside me (no it's not quiet, she's just used to all the noise!)
i smell: baby lotion on my shirt from holding Claire after her bath
i crave: the new Blue Bell ice cream flavor-Snickerdoodle! It just came out this month. Our new goal is to only buy ice cream when there is a new flavor. Blue Bell rotates them and they're only around for 3 months each!
i cry: but not as much as I did 6 weeks ago! Hormones getting back to normal again.
i usually: start thinking about what to make for dinner way too late.
i search: for shoes a lot. They disappear in our little house somehow.
i wonder: what kind of people my children will grow to be
i regret: but try to learn from my mistakes (I agree)
i love: being outside. Anything's better outdoors.
i care: about what my house looks like when people come. I think it reflects on me and will spend probably way too much time straitening up when I know someone is coming and have been known to not answer if it's too messy!
i always: wash my hands after changing a diaper (what a strange thing to pop into my head for this! LOL Oh boy! However...I do know people who don't and that really grosses me out!)
i worry: WAY too much
i am not: in very good shape right now...but working on it!
i remember: something about my mission every day of my life. It was one of the best experiences and influences of my life!
i believe: in the gospel of Jesus Christ
i dance: a lot! And wish I could take lessons with Tory!
i sing: with my family ALL THE TIME but not in public
i don’t always: put away my clothes when I'm finished folding them
i argue: occasionally...right Tory?
i write: lists. Lots and lots of lists.
i win: Skip-Bo and Settlers of Catan when I play with Tory
i lose: Othello and Phase 10 when I play with Tory...oh and my shoes. I lose them a lot.
i wish: I could go back to visit France and Belgium with Tory and visit Scotland, too.
i listen: to music everyday.
i don't understand: why my kids seem to tune out my voice sometimes
i can usually be found: at home with my children
i am scared: to walk to my car in the dark from our front door. We've got these garden spiders that spin webs across the entire sidewalk and Tory ran into one once and got clotheslined by it!
i need: a little time outside every single day
i forget: to get the mail every day
i am happy: when I'm with my family

I tag any of you who want to do this one as well!

I've Been Tagged

My Friend Rachel tagged me a few days ago. Here are the rules:

List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, and 3 facts about yourself.

Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names.

Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

Joys:
-My Family-my husband Tory and my 4 children-Austin, Dallin, Coen, & Claire
-Working in my flower gardens
-Long walks in beautiful places

Fears:
-Something happening to a loved one
-Being held down and not being able to move
-Large bodies of deep water or water that I can't see the bottom of

Goals:
-Exercise 6 times a week
-Get back to our healthy eating habits
-Organize my days better

Current Obsessions/Collections:
-Clipping fingernails and toenails-with 60 of each in our household I have plenty to work on!
-Tory says I'm obsessed with making lists
-Collections-I could probably say I collect plants although it isn't an official collection. I'd love to get more and there are certainly specific ones on my list of wants! (Hmmm...I guess I do have a lot of lists!)

Facts:
-If I need a break or want to relax I head outside and weed or water my gardens. This is very calming and relaxing to me. A mixture of being outside, being alone, and accomplishing something all at the same time.
-I love to dance. I took a different dance class every semester that I was at BYU. Tory loves to dance, too. I'm so lucky! Now we just need to take classes together and find somewhere to actually GO dancing!
-I love the Singstar games. Kind of like karaoke. But only in the comfort of my own home! And while I'm at it I might as well admit that I like Guitar Hero, too. Although it's been a long time since I've played. Trying to play with a guitar bouncing off my big tummy was pretty tricky! I guess I need to give it a try again.

If you haven't done this already and if you want to play, I tag:

Amy, Heather, Beth, Ashley, and Kaylee

Family Time

On the last Saturday before school started, August 23rd, we had a fun time going on a walk/bike/scooter/stroller ride as a family. We made quite the caravan! Of course we had to stop at the halfway point and play at the park. And of course the sandbox sucked the boys in...all four of them! They made quite the sandcastle! It had four entrances that went all the way through and even had stairs going up one side! You should have seen the little crew of "helpers" that this project attracted! It was hard to get a picture of just my boys! Ha! At least everyone was having fun! Claire and I hung out in the shade and watched all the people. On the way home we passed under the train tracks right as a train was passing. The boys loved that! On the way home in the van Austin said, "This was such a fun vacation!" I'm glad they liked it! It was fun!

Kissy Neck

Kiss me if you must.

How's this angle?

Going Out

August 31 was Claire's first time going to church. She was a very good baby and of course looked super cute all dressed up in her pink dress! I made her a flower headband to match. Unfortunately I took the pictures after church and she wasn't interested in opening her eyes or smiling. It was either have them open and see her cry or have them closed and happy. One of these days we'll get a good smile. She's smiling all the time now and it's so cute!

This is how she really felt about the whole picture taking ordeal though. Poor baby! Still so cute even when she's upset.

I Love a Deal

My friend Beth recently wrote about a great deal she found for her little girl and asked us to share any really good deals we've run into lately. She said, "I want to hear all of your 'really good deals'. Something that you felt happened just for you. A deal that made you sit back and think 'I have it soooooo good.' " Well it just so happens that I have had one of those recently.

Twice a year a company called Divine Consign has three huge consignment sales in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. One in the fall and one in the spring. The fall one was just held the last couple weeks. I usually go to the one that's closest to us but last Saturday, August 30, Tory felt like a drive and it just so happened that was the day of one of the sales. I quickly suggested we take a drive there! It's a pretty long drive from our house and I've never driven there myself and don't feel brave enough to anyway. So I was glad to have Tory be my chauffeur! We packed everyone up and brought the DVD player to entertain the boys while the girls were shopping. (Yeah! I have someone to shop with now! Even if she does sleep the entire time!)

I found some great things. It was a HUGE sale! Probably at least twice the size of the one I normally go to closer to home! As a bonus, the day I went was the 50% off sale on items marked. (That's why I went that day.) I shopped and found some cute things for Claire and some winter things for Austin (the two kids who don't get hand-me-downs.) As I was making my final decisions I overheard some ladies next to me talking about a 75% sale that was going to start if they waited long enough. Of course I had to ask and found out in 30 minutes everything that had an "X" on the tag would be marked down to 75% off! Cool! I quickly went through my stack of clothes and everything had an "X" except for a couple things. Awesome! I came out with bags of clothes for only $12! For instance, I found this cute little red and black plaid skirt, 2 turtlenecks-one red, one black, and some black stretch leggings all from Old Navy originally marked $3. Then I thought I was getting them for 50% off at $1.50. They happened to have an "X" on the tag so I ended up getting that entire outfit (all 4 things) for only 75 cents! These are the deals I'm talking about! I think the most I paid for something was $1.50. And these were all complete outfits or else at least two shirts. So yeah, I feel like it was a deal just for me. Like I was most definitely in the right place at the right time. (I had wanted to get there several hours earlier but with getting the kids ready and fed, etc, we didn't make it. I would have missed the 75% off sale!) It made me happy!

So how about you? Have you had any great deals lately?

Visits With Family

I am quite behind on all that's been happening this last month but I did want to mention the fun visits we've had with family lately.

First of all, Tory's brother Jason was in Texas for a month. He was doing a class for his job in the Air Force a couple hours away from us so every weekend he would drive down and spend a few days with us. He timed his trip just right to where he got to see me at a different stage every single time he visited. Quite amusing really. The first weekend that he came I had a week left until Claire was born. The next weekend he got to visit us in the hospital and we came home then, too. Then the next weekend we'd been home for a week and were doing good, etc. How funny! It was fun having him visit us. The boys had a blast with Uncle Jason (he was probably glad to get home to his 4 girls after all the wild boys!) and Tory was glad to have his help on several occasions! They got some good computer game time in, woodworking, swimming, Guitar Hero, and even got to do some jet skiing. We wish we all lived closer so we could see more of them. His wife, Wendy, and their 4 little girls were going to come for the last week but poor Wendy broke her foot earlier in their trip and wasn't able to drive. Bummer! We have never even met their two youngest kids yet! Someday....

Our other visitor was my Mom. It was so fun to have her come out and help. The only problem was that it was just too short. But any visit is too short I've decided. I'm just so thankful she was able to come for the time she did! We had lots of fun and she helped me so much. She cleaned and tidied up, made us delicious food, fixed some of my sewing mishaps, patched some pants that I've been too scared to attempt, and of course made the little boys feel so special.

She made cookies with them and let them do all the pouring and mixing and breaking of eggs, she read at least two (maybe it was three!) Magic Tree House books out loud to them (Austin's favorite books at the moment), she colored pictures with them, she brought them each a little matchbox car which kept them occupied for days, made them each a little fuzzy blanket the size of their pillow to snuggle with, brought them an owl book (which they are now obsessed with and which Dallin was sooo excited that they got to KEEP!), and introduced "The Secret of Nimh" to them. Austin was just watching it the other day and listening to the song playing during the end credits. He said, "Mama, when you hear this song does it make you think of Nana? It makes me think about her and I miss her." We all miss Nana!

I was tucking the boys into bed after she left and Austin said, "Don't you wish you were little and Nana was your Mom so you could do all these fun things with her all the time?" I said, "When I was a little girl Nana WAS my Mom! And we did do fun things! She's still my Mom! And you are so lucky that she is your Nana and now you get to do these fun things with her!" I am lucky. I do have the best Mom in the whole wide world! Thanks for the fun visit!

"Missing" Tooth

On July 26 Austin was supposed to be all tucked in and sleeping. We suddenly heard him screaming and crying. The boys have some plastic "food" toys and he had put a lemon in his mouth and...you guessed it...couldn't get it out again. It was actually kind of funny. We finally got it out and said, "Well you're lucky you didn't get any loose teeth off of that one!" And just for fun I checked. Sure enough! His bottom tooth was pretty loose! And when I looked closer I noticed his new tooth was already coming in behind it! Apparently this tooth had been loose for awhile. We told him to keep wiggling it and working with it so that it would come out. Maybe he would lose it when Claire was born! That was our first goal. Then we waited another week, and another week, and another week. Almost 5 weeks later, August 27th, Tory finally pulled it out. Austin was very excited. I was at Wal-Mart doing some shopping and he had to call me right away and sent me this picture. He had it in his hand when I got home and wouldn't put it down. All of a sudden he said, "Mama! I lost my tooth!" Yes, I know! He said, "No! I LOST it! I was playing with it on the couch and dropped it and it slid down off the cushion and now I can't find it!" Lovely! We looked and looked and when Dada came home HE looked. No tooth. Austin was very sad that he didn't have his first tooth to put under his pillow. He ran down the hall to his room and I could hear him saying a prayer to find his tooth. "Please let me find my tooth. I really want it and I really need help finding it." He never did find it but the Tooth Fairy apparently did. She left him a note with his $1 "treasure" and said she had found it on the floor in the family room and went ahead and picked it up for him and took it with her and told him to be very careful next time he lost a tooth. He was very excited. Hopefully tooth number two goes a little more smoothly and hopefully it doesn't take 5 weeks to come out!

**As a side note...Dallin was playing with his marble track by the couch this morning. He came running to me and said, "Mama! I think I found Austin's tooth!" I asked him if he saw it and he said, "No! But I felt it bite me!" Yikes! Turned out to be a mean old biting crumb instead. LOL