Random Pics

The boys were so happy to celebrate Easter. They hunted for eggs, and their baskets that Baba made. They loved coloring eggs and eating them.

L has not only removed the bubbly eyes off of his basket but has removed them from his brother's as well. So frustrating

Stitches

More Lego ships by the boys

My mischievous almost 4 year old

Last game of indoor soccer, they were undefeated.

K's testimony. He surprised me with this project.

How we travel. A good excuse to hold off on more kids? perhaps

Fried chicken for dinner. A few years ago making dinner was more of a struggle because of K's allergies. I had to improvise and stretch my imagination. For fried chicken, I crushed up cornflakes as a make shift bread crumb. It worked nicely for him since he was allergic to wheat. Now I use Ritz crackers, saltines, or as shown in this picture oyster crackers. This is much easier on the pallet since corn flakes as bread crumbs tend to come out really hard.

I've been Tagged

truthfully, when I answer these questions, I feel like I am divulging hints to passwords for important things. So, knowing my passwords, I am safe to answer these questions.

1. Two names you go by:
a. lucy
b. my given name

2. Two things you are wearing now
a. blue jeans
b. grey sweater with a hoodie

3. Two of your favorite things to do
a. crawl into bed minutes after my hubby has, when the sheets are all warm and toasty
b. cuddling with my kids

4. Two things you want very badly at the moment
a. a keyboard
b. a guitar

5. Two pets that you have or have had
a. parrot
b. dog

6. Two people who will fill this out
a. sara C.
b. amy T.

7. Two things you did last night
a. gave my hubby a massage
b. sat on the couch and talked

8. Two things you ate today
a. a Big Mac
b. homemade dumpling soup

9. Two people you talked to
a. Kristen
b. Debbie

10. Two things you are doing tomorrow
a. service project
b. working

11. Longest trip taken
a. Merida, Yucatan
b. with my family in a rented RV visiting landmarks and camping

12. Your favorite holidays
a. Christmas
b. Thanksgiving

13. Two favorite beverages
a. virgin margarita with extra salt
b. o.j.

Friday Outting

We took advantage of the day off of school and went to the local science museum. I think everyone had the same idea. There are a lot of kids in this state.

It gets easier to take three little boys on outings as time goes by. I'm learning as I go.

Beautiful LashesThis was a favorite for the boys. I'd love to have one of these in our house. hint, hint. jk hubby, like you already don't do enough for us.

Hanging out with friends makes everything even funner.

The boys loved playing with the water.

This is the best shot of D that I got, sorry Setsuko! I know how adorable this little guy is and how much he misses you guys too.

This activity didn't hold their attention at all but it was a cute shot.

I love having three boys even though I had always wanted more daughters than sons. I've said in the past that I would try up to 5 times for a girl. (I know that's not how it should work). I would love to have more kids even though it's stressful and hard work. I worry a lot, so having more kids would just tack on more worry for me. However, to have a house full of kids is nice. I imagine the future with the grown up boys returning with their wives and kids to visit us. There would be more noise, more activity, and most importantly more to love and live for.

There's my baby. I love snuggling up to this little monkey even though he has cold feet like I do. In this household the two that have nice, warm feet are my hubby and L. They are alike in so many ways. Music to my ears. I love hearing my kids sing. I hope for them to be musical.
The day didn't end here. C and I went out to dinner and a play. Many thanks to C's work for the free date, minus taxes and to our very cool babysitters, Loyd and Angela. Sorry there was no food in the house (slim pickings) but glad the boys were good for you.

Insomnia, and I'm not even pregnant, what's the deal?

Some nights I just stay awake trying to solve all of life's little problems. Bad idea when you're trying to fall asleep. After working on a quilt, I thought I'd start the laundry at 2 a.m. in the morning and changed my mind. Blogging is a quieter substitute.

Well, on Monday, I thought to leave earlier for soccer so K could get some warm up time before the game. In the process, I got pulled over and ticketed (my first time ever) for speeding and for not having a valid driver's license (which I didn't have on me anyways). Not smart, Nancy, especially since the day before, Paul, our lawyer friend informed me that it was a misdemeanor to not have a D.L. K insisted he never ever will become a police officer. I think he's over it now, but I did have to do some reassuring that the officer was doing his job to keep us safe. Needless to say, we were five minutes late for the game. :0(

I was released from the R.S. presidency and now am a teacher in the primary. I am actually really happy about this. I get to see my L as a new Sunbeam in action. Besides picking his nose in class, bellowing out primary songs, and not being able to sit still, I think he's doing great. K has been there for a while and I just enjoy seeing him and being a part of their organization. Since I never attended primary before, this is a nice change. I get to learn new songs, the articles of faith, and it's so much easier to stay on the same wave length as the boys. My class is great. I teach from the Book of Mormon, which I absolutely LOVE.

It's official, I am part of the PWC Wasatch Back Relay team. I don't have the exact details of the race but there are 12 on our relay team. We will run over 100 miles in 24+ hours. We each get 3 legs to run ranging from 3+ to 8 miles. They range in difficulty. I was told that training on a tread mill won't cut it. You have to train up the canyon, on a dirt road, going up hill, in the middle of a hot day. Crazy. Needless to say, both C and I have been training pathetically on a tread mill and as soon as it warms up, we'll move things outside. Every time I go to the gym I wonder when is it going to get easier to run a few miles. It just never does.

During the Christmas season, since C wasn't working out of town like he has in the past, I got a seasonal job at Ross. I really wanted to try it out. I had been thinking a lot about getting a part time job working once a week. yeah right, who's going to hire me for once a week? So, this was good enough. Overall the experience was fine. I never felt prompted to quit. However, it was a good reminder to me that I can never have a "real" job and that there are waaaaaaaaaaaaay more important things I can be doing than making seven bucks an hour. First of all I don't have the mental ability to drop my kids off at a day care so I can go and have my career. During the season, I was ill for a few weeks straight and I still had to go to work in pain. There was no one to cover for me. Besides it's silly to have someone cover for me when I'm only working for such a short time. There were many times C and I had to meet in the parking lot at my work so he could take the kids home. We'd swap cars, just so I could make my shift on time. Dinner together wasn't happening anymore and things got chaotic at times. I didn't get to do all the Christmasy things I was planning to do with the kids. It was an easy job. I tried something out I had been thinking about doing and satisfied that curiosity. I made new friends and now have a once a month job and a great discount on stuff. I'll try this once a month thing for a couple of months and reevaluate. Once L and K start soccer in April, my Saturdays need to be open. I wouldn't want to miss a game.

C is well into busy season. We don't get to see him as much and there are times he works crazy hours and starts doing weird things like driving off to work with my car that has all the car seats or filling up a sippy cup of juice but missing, and basically having way too much on his mind. We try to be really easy on him during these times. Thank thank thank goodness I am not pregnant or post partum whatever. It's much easier to run the household when I am not tired and pregnant or depressed and worn out.

I keep things real simple and laid back around here. I don't really care what time everyone's dressed and cleaned up and fed just as long as it's before school. The kids have plenty of free time to do whatever. Before dinner they have to pick up their mess and on Saturdays their playroom. L and I have our time after we drop K off at school and A takes a nap. We do crafts, play games, paint, play in the snow, cook, etc. After dinner, they get into their jammies, brush their teeth, and we have devotional (read, sing, pray). After L and A go to bed, K has mom/dad time. During this time we work on K's reading and/or writing. On Sundays, we play games (monopoly, life, etc.). Usually L bails out early but K actually has beat us the last two games. I've never been able to beat my hubby at Monopoly but K can. FHE works better on Sundays for us during busy season. During the week, we have friends over, go to the library, sledding, basically anything that's cheap. I try to not run errands if I don't have to with the kids. It's just not fun. I have MY time in the evenings after the boys are asleep. At times all I can do is just sit on the couch, stare at the wall, and hope my hubby will come home soon. After which all I can do is sit next to him and watch him work some more. If I'm feeling up to it I pick up a book, quilt, pluck my eye brows, etc. Going to the gym of course I don't have a choice on if I'm going to be ready for the race. I go there unexcited at first but come home glad I went.

Things to look forward to include a tax return, a trip to New York without my boys ahhhhhhhhhhhhh I can feel the anxiety coming on, making curtains for the kitchen, and painting my bathroom cabinets(hopefully).

Happy Birthday!!

Here are a few pics of the birthday boy as a baby and toddler. I miss him as a baby. I remember the day I realized he wasn't going to be a baby for much longer. I was pregnant with my second child and it was sort of a sad day because he was such a fun baby. We were buds and after all the trials we went through together, we grew so close. I realized he was becoming more independent and didn't need me as much. It's not entirely a bad thing, not at all. But, it's sort of a sad thing for a mom. He's still a lot of fun, a huge blessing in our lives, and so full of goodness. Children are truly a gift and to be treated with all the respect in the world. On hard days, I need to stop and think about this, so I can manage to say the right things in times I'd rather not.

13 months or so

9 months

3 months

His big day

Last year's sledding party was a hit, so we decided to do one again. (Thanks to Mrs. C. Mitchell from whom I stole the idea.) It's one of those things you can't plan until the last minute after a snow storm and with the hopes for a clear, sunny Saturday. So, invitations went out a couple of days before the big day and we just had to hope the conditions were decent. The snow storm ended up being not much of one, but there was still plenty of snow and the day turned out to be pleasant.
On the invite to his classmates, I requested a caretaker to attend with their child. Sledding can be dangerous. I thought it was funny that all the caretakers were dads with the exception of Renee.
After passing out the invitations, K asked me if I gave one to Shelbie. Sure I did, I gave one to everyone in his class. Later on that day, again the same question. It wasn't until the third time, that I put two and two together. Shelbie is his kindergarten crush. I was so excited when Shelbie's mom called to RSVP. I ran downstairs to tell K and I got the cutest reaction......a huge smile, an "I've been caught" embarrassed look and as he turned away he said, "I just wanted to make sure everyone was invited so no one would get their feelings hurt." Yeah, sure. As he gets older, I'm sure his crushes won't be as obvious. so , so cute. Well, there she is featured above.




It was a great time. The kids were completely entertained. We provided a hot breakfast. Next year if we do it again I think donuts and drinks will suffice. We'll add a pinata as well.

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

One House purchased,
Two Masters' Degrees earned,
Three Boys born,
Four Moves made,
Five Cars owned,
Six Jobs worked,
Seven Years Married.

Well, we've come a long way. We can now play a board game without fighting. That says a lot!!! I've grown so much in the last seven years through marriage. All the hard work is worth it.

Here's my attempt at a Christmas picture

Of the individual shots, K's the only one that turned out. He has always been so easy to take pictures of. My little poser. Isn't he a cutie?!!

This one would of been great if it wasn't for the baby.

Notice L's face. Love it but it won't do for a Christmas pic.

Just can't get them to look at me and smile at the same time. Dang it!!

This is just outright protest by the baby!!

Thanksgiving 2007

We spent Thanksgiving here and were blessed to have Erica, Quin, and Loyd with us. The day was nice with a few bumps here and there. L was hung upside down over the toilet by his uncle Loyd. Both C and I were in agreement that when L punched Loyd in the eye, he deserved it. No apologies needed. I enjoyed making the feast and although it takes less than 10 minutes for everyone to eat and have seconds, it's still worth all the effort. Quin was thoughtful and brought candy supplies for the kids to make turkeys. So cute. We went and saw Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and had the kids in bed nice and early. Although we probably stay up way too late chit chatting, it was fun.
Today we spent the morning putting up the Christmas tree and talked about the symbols of Christmas that we were hanging up. And after we had homemade, turkey dumpling soup, a favorite traditional meal in this household.

A side note, L wants this ugly, stuffed, parrot he saw at Walmart. Go figure.

I don't want to jump the gun and say that our baby A is potty trained. But for the last four days he has used the toilet. He tells us he has to go by slapping his bottom, then runs to the bathroom, picks up his toilet to set on the toilet, sits down and goes. It all began a handful of days ago when I rediscovered the training toilet and thought to have A try it out. And that was it, he was hooked.

An update

I haven't updated my blog in a while or even checked up on new updates posted by friends lately. It is fun to finally get a chance to do both.

Last month I read all three of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, the first two Harry Potter books, Jane Eyre, and Villete. The last two weeks I've spent reading Wuthering Heights and finally got through it today. It was tough to get through Villete and Wuthering Heights but I'm glad I read them and did enjoy some parts of them. I'm not much of a reader but I'm trying to repent of that and make up for lost time. I ran 4 miles for the first time ever. I usually run 3 miles for a workout and was getting complacent. The goal is to run the Wasatch Back 100 next spring. The team will consist of 12 rotating, participants with the goal of completing 170 miles in 24-30 hours. It's ridiculous, I know, but it's one of three things I want to do before possibly having another kid. I must clarify that the three things are not the reasons for delaying having another baby. They are just things to shoot for in the meanwhile. The topic can be another blog but perhaps no one would care to read about my thoughts on that topic.

C has successfully passed all CPA exams and is currently waiting for his license in the mail. Hurray!! He enjoys playing on a soccer league with his work colleagues. He has been working out quite a bit and really enjoys it. Work is busy, things are changing, and seems to be enjoying all the challenges. He has an amazing work ethic and a gift to work efficiently and well with others. My dad and brothers are hard laborers and are able to do just about anything from fixing cars to dealing with miserable plumbing problems. I grew up with my dad and brothers often working side by side to fix something on one of our properties and doing all the labor on their own to save money, to learn, and because they were capable of it. So it was always a turn off when someone I was dating was incapable of doing something I thought a man should be able to do like dealing with a flat tire or didn't demonstrate a trusting work ethic that I would possibly be relying on in the future( I wasn't a good judge of that because all guys I dated seem to have successfully gained a respectable profession). I hope I'm not sounding critical and I tried not to be critical. It was just that these silly notions instilled a feeling of insecurity about my future and I knew then that, that person wasn't right for me. I guess I wanted to stick with the familiar. And C is that for me. Come to find out, his family was the same way!!

K came home from school with a bloody scratch on his neck. This week he's been thrown against the fence twice, so he says. And when I volunteered on Halloween day for the festivities, I witnessed him being thrown down onto the floor and he hit his head on the ground. Koji instigates this kind of ruff play. He wants to wrestle and so they do that sometimes. Sometimes they pretend to be whatever super hero or villain and play fight. Regardless, I put my foot down and told him he was to no longer rough house or play fight because he could get hurt and it leads to other problems. He was so disappointed and as he fought back tears, he struggled to say, "but mom, it's the only other thing we like to do when Ty doesn't bring his football." So, C and the boys went out and bought a football to take with him to school everyday and after having consulted with his teacher, who is a friend, hopefully we've solved one of the many problems I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life. I'm sure I'm sounding like a naive mother of a kindergartener who thinks she can solve any problem that he might encounter and protect him every minute he is away. Stop there, I already know what your advice is going to be. :)

L is humongous. He guzzles it seems like a gallon of a combination of things everyday. He definitely has viking blood in him or at least the appetite of one. We took off his training wheels because they were unbearably broken and useless. To our surprise, L took off on his bike!! He loves going to school and is never afraid to tell me he got time-out. But, the reasons for his time-outs are vague. I'm curious though and wish I could get a glimpse of what he's like away from home. I'm sure he gets time out for the same reason he gets time outs at home but I'd still like to know the details. He absolutely loves his time at speech therapy. I watch him sit still, participate, and even sit quietly engaged in a project for a good length of time. He adores his teachers and they are really adorable. He is a determined, persistent little fellow. If he wants something he will persist until he either gets his way or someone gets really upset. It is a good quality to have as long as its used wisely and hopefully we'll be able to work out those chinks.

A is now nursery age. He's usually pleasant and fun to be with. He enjoys sitting on my lap while I read to the boys. I'm very happy about this because L wouldn't sit through a book for the longest time and I don't have to worry about that with A. Like L, he's turned out to be quite the helper. He throws stuff in the garbage, goes and gets stuff upon my request, he gets a strainer and goes out to pick strawberries on his own accord, puts toys away, drys up spilled water, grabs his own shoes when we're heading out, tells me when he wants a diaper change, and joins in when I'm tidying up. He has quite the agreeable personality. I'm really enjoying him and the other two.

The three together are really good friends. I love that. I want to cultivate a good relationship between them and provide lots of opportunities for that. One day they'll have less and less time with each other and eventually go their separate ways but hopefully their close bonds will be strong enough to keep them united and loyal throughout their lives. Family bonds are eternal and will be desired with cultivation.

Some fun stuff we've done lately is go out to dinner and a Jazz game on the firm. Recruits...they come in handy sometimes. We also went to the Alta/Bingham semi-final football game with the kids. They were excited. While there, a man bumped shoulders with me and asked if I was an E. I said yes and nudged for Chris' attention. Sure enough he was our very own Steve E. whose children attend Alta. I asked him how he found us in the crowd. He was sitting behind us and saw L and thought he looked alot like Bobby when he was little!!! It's the hair do; it's the same exact hair style C, Loyd, and Bobby had. He met the boys and vice versa. L was excited to find out that one of Steve's kids is also named L, a family name. He was a very kind, pleasant person and even brought a basket of french fries for the boys which made the last few minutes of the exciting game more bearable for the kids. Alta won!!

Pictures are to come.