Once A Month Cooking

This is my new favorite thing.  A friend introduced it to me, and we jumped on the idea because I very much DISLIKE cooking every night.  Three and a half hours later, we had 12 homemade meals in the freezer.  They were all new recipes, too!  We actually had a really enjoyable time working together in the kitchen, and were super impressed with the Once A Month Cooking book.  It gives you a shopping list, and then step by step directions to make the meals most efficiently.  We only did a 2 week menu plan for our first try, but I'm sure we'll work up to the 4 week plan.  The best part is that I haven't had to cook all week, and we haven't had sandwiches for dinner.  I have thoroughly enjoyed letting go of the nightly battle to figure out what to make and then to work up the will power to make it.  Instead I look at my menu choices (AKA my freezer) the night before and just thaw it out.  YES!

I took a picture at the beginning before we'd made much of a mess.  We kept up with the dishes, though, and it really wasn't hard.  After we were done, we went out to eat as a reward (and so we wouldn't have to spend any more time in the kitchen). 

My Loves

Who can resist a sleeping baby?  (Who's almost not a baby...) 

I can't resist these blue eyes.

This little guy has a temper, but his tantrums are so funny and dramatic!

I can't resist round tummies either.

My darling...looks like you're enjoying your treat.

Check out those bones muscles!

Kids Say

Beware the shock factor on some of these...

As we were getting in the car after having been at the YMCA, Annie informed me, "I'm not wearing underwear."  ?!!  (Thankfully she didn't tell anyone else that...)

Logan, "I couldn't wipe all that poop with the toilet paper so I used that towel and it worked!"  Me, "What towel?"  Logan suddenly looking guilty, "The one I could reach under the sink."  (Meaning the hand towel.)

Logan, "I wish we were the Petersen's."  Me, "Why?"  Logan, "Because we would have six people in our family!"

Logan after saying something that made us laugh, "Don't text that to somebody."  (He's totally caught on to how I keep track of the things they say.)

Logan, "I wish I was twins with Annie.  I wish we were triplets.  So we would all have the same birthday.  Then we would be March March March all at the same time!"

Annie after sipping her smoothie, "I have a brain freeze in my tummy."

Logan was explaining to us that there are various types of ambulances (ambliances in his language).  "The regular ambliance takes people with all kinds of sicknesses.  The medical ambliance takes kids and babies that have swallowed metal or batteries.  The really important ambliance takes mommies that are pregnant with babies.  Then there's this other ambliance that takes the FBRSM.  There's an ambliance that takes grownups that are really sick and hurt when there's a tornado and fire and they'are in their house...even kids and babies."  (I'm dying to know what the FBRSM is, but he can't seem to tell me.)

Annie in her bedtime prayer, "...and please bless us to know what happened..."  That's all she said, and left us all mystified.

Annie in a different bedtime prayer, "...and please bless the food.  OH!!  NOT bless the food..."
Then the next night,  "...and please bless the food for tomorrow..."

Logan, "When regular hunters hunt chickens, does the bottom of the gun stab the chicken?"

Logan during a slumber party with Jim, "Dad, I was actually going to sleep down here by myself...because Annie is a terror."

One morning Logan called to me from his room.  So I went in there and he said, "I'm going to tell you the truth.  My throat feels like it is going to throw up."

Annie, "I don't like that smell!"  Me, "What smell?"  Annie pointing at her bottom and wrinkling her nose, "That smell.  I put my fingers in there."

Annie, "I told my mom that I was going to throw up, but I was teasing."

We had our first request for an electronic devise recently.  Annie, "I want a Kindle."  *pause*  "I have a little Kindle.  It used to have papers in it.  I still have the papers."

Logan laying on our bed for nap said, "It smells like Dad.  Why does it smell like Dad?"  Me, "Because you're laying on his pillow."  Logan, "I don't like that smell."

Logan to me, "Your mom doesn't have a tv.  *pause*  Oh yes she does!  But she mostly sleeps."

Some more baby names that the kids came up with before everything happened: Tinkerbell, Rapunzel, and Fleecy

Annie after waking up, "The whole thing of me is sweaty!"

Logan, "I'm the fastest runner I've ever seen!  Watch my legs pump themselves!"

Logan, "Everytime I see a dump truck parked with its engine on, it drives me crazy."

Me to Logan, "When did you get so big?"  Logan, "On August 31st."

Annie, "What if I poop in my underwear again?"  Me, "You won't."  Annie, "Why?  Because Minnie Mouse will be sad?"

Logan, "If spinosaurs were chasing us we would have to kick our butt and run...a football run!"

Annie sharing her grievances to my mom on the phone, "I wanted Daddy to read the yittle duckling book.  I thought he could, but apparently he could not!"

Logan, "Dad!  My brain is bigger than yours!"

Annie's bedtime prayer, "...and please help us to sleep longer and to eat breakfast..."

Alex was being really cute copying Annie one day.  She'd been saying, "On your mark, get set, go!"  He over and over again was saying, "Set, go!"

The kids were playing hospital one day and I was their patient.  Logan said I had carbon binoxide poisoning and it was under my tongue, but would come out if I threw up.

In preparation for bed I said to Annie, "Go potty."  She replied, "I did!!  I went potty at lunchtime!"  Me, "That was a long time ago."  Annie, "But it was today!!"

The kids were drawing pictures and Annie says, "I'm drawing Cami's underwear!"  (She was referring to her aunt, who she was drawing as a baby.)  Logan was working on pictures of Alex from when he was in the womb, "I'm making his umbilican cord!"

Logan, "Mom, am I sort of a scientist?"  He was manipulating objects to see what was heaviest.

I also want to update Alex's talking progress.  He definitely isn't following the same pattern as our other kids.  He doesn't actually say very many words, but seems to understand more than other toddlers his age.  We were thinking up the various words he does say, and were surprised to realize that he doesn't name any objects.  In fact, his only nouns are, momma and aa-aa for Annie.  Otherwise the things he says are: hey!, hi, whoa, okay, oh, uh-huh, uh-uh, I did that!, You okay?, Set go!  He babbles a lot, with all the right expressions and expects us to understand him.  So he's definitely trying to communicate verbally.  That's all I can think of now.  He might have a couple more, but it sure isn't a very large vocabulary.  It cracks me up that he has three phrases already.  I wonder if he's going to start talking in sentences one day instead of single words?  

The best thing that any member of my family has said to me lately actually came from Jim, though.  One night he informed me that living with me is like being in a cheesy musical where the characters suddenly burst into nonsensical song.  I'm that character apparently.  (All in good humor of course.)

New Year's

We had a fun New Year's Eve at home.  This was the first year we let the kids know it was a holiday and they were quite excited.  We started the day by doing a lot of family work: laundry, cleaning, and putting away the Christmas decorations (my living room feels so empty and clean!).  Everyone pitched in and then we made a deal with the kids that they could stay up late if they took afternoon naps.  They were very willing and we had a nice long quiet time.  Aah!  The fun began when they woke up.  We had a special dinner (but not a fancy one) of mini-burgers, smoothies, and homemade potato chips.  Watch out Lay's!  Jim has figured you out!  The kids helped Jim make the chips while I made the rest.  I actually enjoyed working in the kitchen since everyone was helping.  :)  Then we watched the kids play for a while (enjoyment in itself at times) before starting a puzzle my sister had sent us for Christmas.  We actually stayed up past midnight this year thanks to that puzzle!  Logan and Annie stayed up the entire time, and Logan talked our ears off every minute of it!  It was fun, and we were good and tired the next day.  It's a good thing we now have church at 1:00.  (Logan actually fell asleep during sacrament meeting.)  I can now say I've been awake for the New Year at least once during my married life.  :) 

Twins

This picture was taken the day after Christmas and these cute boys are both in their Christmas jammies.  I babysit this other little guy every day; he and Alex are the same age and I now know what it would be like to have twin toddlers.  :)  Anyway, their favorite thing to do together is to climb on the table, look out the window together, and giggle.  It's hilarious.  They crawled over to me when they saw I had the camera out and Alex "smiled for the camera".

Christmas

Christmas started for us on Thanksgiving.  Almost every day afterward we did something Christmas-ey and we had Christmas music playing all the time.  We had several baking days, delivered lots of cookies and presents, and best of all found opportunities to serve.  Two days before Christmas we hosted a Christmas party at our house.  That is becoming a fun tradition, and I once again forgot that I owned a camera during it.  :)  On Christmas Eve we had to cancel our plans because Alex had thrown up several times that morning.  That was a double disappointment because this was also our first year not going to my mom's house for Christmas Eve.  So I was missing family in addition.  It wasn't feeling at all like the holiday to me.  BUT...we did remedy that situation.  We sang Christmas carols (which helped a lot) and then we did something I knew my family was doing without us: played a game.  The kids were thrilled to learn an adult game (Rummikub), although we didn't play until the very late hours of the evening as in years past.  After that we stayed up quite late reading a Christmas book (The Christmas Barn...a good one) before the kids very willingly went to bed. 

Christmas morning found healthy kids who all slept in!  I really thought this would be the year they'd wake early, but I guess we wore them out sufficiently the night before.  Jim and I were the first up and even had to wake them so we'd have time to eat and open stockings before church.  After a simple, but yummy breakfast of smoothies and biscuits with gravy, we got everyone ready for church.  Then we opened stockings.   

That is, after I took these pictures.  I've included this one because I love how Alex smiles for the camera.  He is so funny.

Stockings were fun and we had just the right amount of time to enjoy them before it was time to go.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions are the letters that Jim and I put in each other's stockings each year.  Writing his always helps me refocus on how much I appreciate him, and reading mine from him is such a sweet boost. 

Annie and Logan were surprisingly good for church (Jim had to take Alex out).  They even sat quietly by themselves when I went up to sing with the choir.  We had a nice sacrament meeting and then the rest of the usual classes were cancelled for the day.

After church we opened presents.  I was a little worried that this would be the year our kids acted spoiled over their presents because we had a LOT under the tree.  We've never had all our presents in one place because they'd always receive most of their gifts a few at a time at our various family celebrations.  So I was very happy with my kiddos this Christmas.  They were very excited about each and every gift, and we even had to pull them away several times to open more. 

The first thing they wanted to open was the large package my dad had sent us.  It was a croquet set and we're excited to use it when the weather permits.     

After that we passed out the presents one at a time, and I didn't take many more pictures.  The kids were given a nice variety of small toys, games, puzzles, and clothing.  My gift to Jim was a pile of presents to open: quite a few things he needed plus a giftcard to a bookstore (his fun gift).  Jim gave me a fun gift, a Kindle, and I've already read several books on it.  We're such nerds.  (As I type this, Jim is at the bookstore spending his giftcard.)  :)

Our special present to the kids were framed pictures of their favorite temples.  Logan has been placing his all over the house so he can see it displayed in whatever room he is in.

Long story short: Jim is becoming a salaried employee for John Deere in two more weeks, and his welcome gift arrived just before Christmas.  So I saved it for him to open that day.  I love it.

I was planning to make Annie an apron for Christmas this year, but then I was so sick followed by the miscarriage that I didn't make time to do it.  However, I was able to choose a free item after hosting a 31 party for a friend.  So I chose this cute little apron and embroidered the A on it after it arrived.  She's excited to have her own apron now.

After presents, we relaxed a lot and played with the things we'd opened.  We've enjoyed the family games and puzzles we were given this year. 

Jim's mom made the kids pajamas, so they all wore them to bed that night, and I got another cute picture.

Plus a silly picture.

Generosity

We've had some sweet experiences with Logan during the last couple of weeks.  The first one happened two weeks ago.  We were getting ready to go somewhere and I asked the kids to put on their tennis shoes.  Annie got hers and informed us that they hurt her feet.  It wasn't the first time she'd complained, so I went to see if I had bigger shoes for her.  Much to my surprise, not only did I not have bigger tennis shoes for her, but I actually had no shoes larger than the ones she is currently wearing.  That's not a big deal, just a first for us, so I briefly mentioned to Jim that we needed to think about getting her a few pairs of shoes soon.  That's all that was said and we weren't worried about it.  Some minutes later, Logan approached me with his piggy bank and asked me to help him open it.  I asked him why and he told me that he wanted to get his money out to buy Annie shoes because she needed them.  I didn't want to deny him an opportunity to be generous, so we opened it up for him and he started pulling money out.  By the time he decided he had enough, he'd pulled out almost $4, which was most of his life savings to date.  :)  So off to the store we went, and found two pairs (though not tennis shoes) at a great price.  Logan gave his money to the cashier himself, and Jim made up the difference.  We were so pleased with our boy that day.  (In my defense because I picked them out, those pink mary jane's are very sturdy shoes and will match most of Annie's mostly pink wardrobe.  I really do think she'll get a lot of use out of them...probably more than tennis shoes even.)

The second experience happened on a Sunday.  Jim and I were talking about a family that we'd like to do something nice for, and Logan heard us say that things were hard for them.  Logan has been telling me for weeks that he wanted to give something of his to someone in need, but at that point hadn't hit on someone who could use his toys or other things he thought of to give away.  He finally figured it out!  So, he got his piggy bank out again, and started dumping the rest of its contents.  He took the rest of his money out (about $1) and decided he wanted to give all but a few cents to the family.  He said he was keeping a few coins to help our family (but not himself).  Annie then followed his example and donated the majority of her piggy bank.  We did indeed give their donation to that family (though not quite in the same form), and once again were very pleased with our boy (and our girl).  He taught us a good lesson with these two experiences.  Our young child essentially gave all of his money to help others in need, and showed us how generous we should strive to be. 

Twue Wove, That Bwessed Awangement...

...that dweam within a dweam...

Today we get the chance to look back at the last seven years.  I can honestly say that I love him more now than I did then!  It's amazing to look at all the changes and experiences we've had in just seven years.  I can't believe how much we've grown. 

Happy Anniversary sweetheart!

Time to Move On!

I thought I'd post an update here.  After four days of thinking I could miscarry any minute, I finally did this morning.  It was 4.5 hours of labor pain.  The first couple of hours were manageable, though quite painful, and the last couple were absolutely miserable.  I never had a break from the contractions the last two hours; they went back and forth between very painful and excrutiating.  The contractions were much worse than with my first miscarriage.  Thankfully it was all over about half an hour before the kids woke up and it went as smooth as possible.  I'm glad it was relatively short, but it further confirmed to me that I never want to have a baby without an epidural!  I am in AWE of women who have natural births!  I can definitely see the advantage to being at home, though.  As compared to having a baby in the hospital, I was much more comfortable on my couch without being hooked up to an IV and other tubes. 

I am very happy with the timing of this.  It started well before Jim had to leave for work, so he was able to be here with me the whole time, and the kids didn't have to see me in pain.  Today has been a good day to be an invalid since we didn't have anything planned.  I'm feeling like if I can get enough rest today, that I'll be back to normal tomorrow.  Then we can really enjoy this holiday week!  I'm so glad to be able to move on now.     

Not So Happy News

I debate about making this post even as I write it, but at the same time I want it known since we'd so widely announced our pregnancy.  We've learned that I'm going to miscarry.  About a week ago, I woke up without nausea or exhaustion and immediately felt like something was wrong because I never feel that good during my first trimester.  I've had a strong feeling since that day that I was going to miscarry, and today we had that confirmed.  Interestingly, development stopped probably on the same day I began to feel worried.  I'm grateful that Heavenly Father prepared me for this news, and grateful that I can relax and allow things to take their course in the comfort of my own home without worry.  I've been through this before and really am not scared at all.  Now it's just a matter of waiting.  I actually feel more emotionally calm now that I have this confirmation.  I'm very disappointed.  I used to think that the more kids you had, the easier it would be to be patient for the subsequent ones.  I've learned that I'm just the opposite.  I want each one more intensely than the last and I'll admit that this miscarriage has already been more difficult than the first.  I'm a very open person, as anyone who knows me is aware of, and talking about this doesn't bother me at all.  It's not a subject to walk on eggshells about, for me anyway.  On the positive side, I have been counting my blessings this week and that has really helped.  I am very richly blessed and my life is good and full.