Nakedness

Richard 5 1/2 Months old (Poor chunky baby has a puke rash around his neck)

Gotta just love the baby nakedness. Not everybody can look that cute bald and naked.

The Grass is Greener

Our neighbors across the street just put in their landscaping last month. Their new grass is like super luscious green. Anyways....on the way to the community mailbox I noticed that the sod pallets on the side of the road belonged to a certain company.




I knew Coca-Cola had their fingers in a lot of pies, but sod farming?

Healing Heart

I anticipated bad news when I had another Echo cardiogram done last week because my symptoms have gotten worse. But I am please to announce that I am a pessimist and that my heart valve is leaking less and the heart chamber is less stretched. Hooha! (I just learned that word. It is a Army term for something positive).

Against Doctors orders, I stopped taking the heart meds and I also stopped taking my birth control pills because I've got to get ride of the dizziness. I don't know if the dizziness is from my blood pressure dropping too low or the hormones that in the past have given me migranes, something is messing me up so I stopped taking both.

When my eye went blind while taking a class at the gym I became discouraged and stopped working out for a couple weeks which increases my anxiety, depression and arrhythmia. But now I'm back on the horse and hired a personal trainer once a week to help me out. I want to bench sets of 100 pounds again and get under 20% body fat again. There were days that I wondered if I would ever be able to run far or work hard. But now I feel like I can slowly get there. "If it doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger."

Economy Boost

This is where we normally have our "Art Gallery." The fridge could only hold so many finger paintings, crafts, report cards, and stories about Rootbeer Raindeer. So we created the "Art Gallery" going down to the basement. The Art Gallery is closed for construction.

Yes, Katrina is sitting on a toilet. Thanks for the hand-me-downs Chris and Taryn.

We decided to use our tax refund and bonus on finishing the basement to do our part in stimulating the economy. It has been interesting to see the difference between finishing the basement in Springville 6 years ago and finishing the basement now. For example, six years ago some contractors didn't return our phone calls and nowadays (Is nowadays a word?) they are calling us every couple days to see if we like their bid. Contractors are now dropping their contracting fee just to drum up work. We are happy with the price and contractor and we will be painting next week. We are excited to have more growing space. I am excited to have a scrapbook room again. Go Economy! You can do it!

Giv'em the Bird

Last Sunday we were about to go on a walk as a family. The kids were excited to take their scooters for a ride. I was trying to get the baby ready when I heard a "I'm REALLY hurt" cry from Alex. I walked outside and found Alex at the bottom of the driveway tangled under his three wheel Spider man scooter. I slowly walked over to comfort him. He showed me his hand. His middle finger was purple and the bone was protruding out under the skin at the joint. I buckled him in the car, put a cold pack on his finger and told Spencer that Alex dislocated his finger so I was taking him to urgent care.

On the drive over he stopped crying. When you get Alex alone, he gets really chatty. He told me to call grandma and tell her that she should not buy Spider man scooters for boys for Christmas because they can hurt boys. I explained that scooters are fine for boys to get for Christmas and that accident just happen sometimes.

We walked into the urgent care and Alex was in such high spirits that I checked his finger again. The bone was not protruding anymore but the finger was still in the shape of a "Z." Alex made friends with another little boy in the waiting room, discussing the fish in the aquarium. Then we went back for X-rays. Sometimes when bones dislocate a small piece can chip off. The nice nurse asked Alex to show her which finger hurt. He promptly GAVE HER THE BIRD. I was laughing. He is still talking about the sucker the nurse gave him. He loved the one-on-one time we had and thinks we should see the Doctor more often.

Somewhere between making a new friend at the fish tank in the waiting room and going back for X-rays, the finger popped back into place. So the X-rays showed a perfect little left hand.

Happy Easter Birthday!

Katrina likes to ask us, "how much longer til Easter?" Because her birthday is very close to Easter. On April 9, 2009 she turned 7 but wishes she was 8 because then she will be baptized you see. For her birthday we bought her a bike. She chose training wheels and a bike over a bike with a purse. She is a nervous rider. I think we need outside help. If you are interested in helping, give us a call. For her birthday Grandma Sherry bought her a Barbie scooter. Katrina asked, "Would you be sad if I didn't ride my bike?" I sternly said, "Yes. All kids should learn to ride a bike, even if they have a scooter."
For her birthday we had cake and games which included an Easter egg Pinata and Pin the Tail on the Donkey at my parents house with the cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Good times.

I remember when I was a kid, a whole year felt like an eternity. My Mom said that one day I went to her almost in tears. I explained that I was upset because Chris had had 2 birthdays and I only had one that year. Heheh, I guess I wasn't thinking about how things work chronologically, I just knew that he had two birthdays and I had only had one. The idea that a birthday had been forgotten would be crushing for a child. I believe in the importance of celebrations and traditions. Besides, when you are one of six kids in a family anything that sets you apart from the pack, like a birthday, is very important.

We try to emphasize the true meaning of Easter with our children. The week before Easter Sunday we talk about the Savior and His mission. Traditionally we make "Empty Tomb Rolls." You take a marshmallow (Christ's body), roll it in melted butter and Cinnamon sugar (oils and spices anointing Christ to be buried)and then cover the marshmallow in bread dough (tomb). After baking the rolls they are empty, like the tomb. "He is not here, He is risen." Often we only have peeps on hand, no marshmallows, so the body of Christ is in the shape of a yellow bunny. That could be confusing for a child. Sometimes, in an effort to teach my kids, I just confuse them more.

Katrina was amazed that the Easter Bunny knew exactly what each kid likes to do/have and we had just discussed it the night before Easter. What an amazing fuzzy little rodent!