Snails Pace

I think I moved slower than a snails pace today. (maybe trying to gear myself up for some serious heat?) I just couldn't motivated to really doing anything. It took me nearly the entire day to prepare for our trip tomorrow. (not like me to do that!) I have been slacking on the reports of good mail. I received a few thank you cards (some not pictured) from various girls. Andrea, Tasha, and Amy H. just to name a few. Amy included a darling notepad she hand made. Thanks, it will be perfect for my purse. It's always enjoyable getting cheery cards in the mail. Well, 4am is going to come very, very soon. I better get some shut eye. Wish me luck on our 15 hour journey!

good deed: found Doug's missing test cds.

Five For Friday

1). Guess what the cat dragged in around 1am last night? A mountain man? I don't think my husband went to a study course, but maybe ended up on a desolate island? Last I checked the Wal-mart in Maine carried razors. Apparently, he couldn't find that aisle. Ha. Doug has weird traditions such as going on the trauma service to grow facial hair. He used to do the same thing up at BYU before a test. He wouldn't shave until the day of (well he had to for standard reasons) Whatever works for good luck eh? This is the first time I have ever seen him grow a full beard. Remember his Halloween costume? At this point I'll take any look I can get. I am tickled my man is home!

2). The kids had their last swimming meet of the season today. This is Taylor and Jared with coach Dan. Jared improved his time in each event by a few seconds, as did Taylor. Great job guys!

3) Since Doug has been home you know where the boys have flocked to? Not me! They can't seem to get enough of dad. Fabulous!

4) Taylor and Mackenzi met when they were 4 years old. So hard to believe how much time has passed. Look how sweet and innocent they looked. (not that they still aren't :) Today is Mackenzi's 10th Birthday. Happy Birthday Kenzi!! We love you like a daughter and hope you have a great day!

5) We are off to get some stuff prepared for are upcoming drive to Arizona, then to Red Robyn for dinner. Yummy!! I can't believe Sunday is already July. Doug takes his boards a week from Monday. Crazy!

Happy Birthday Rebecca!!

good deed: Helped Doug do the yard.

Spoiled

You can barely tell from this photo I took looking out my bedroom window, but it has been pouring rain since about 6am this morning. It doesn't look any better tomorrow since the clouds are reported to be "stationary" Quite honestly, I am feeling a bit like the weather. I feel like my body is trying to fight off some sort of flu. I crashed around 8:30pm after taking two cold medicine pills. I wasn't even able to keep my eyes open to see all the SYTYCD. Of course it never fails, I awoke several times throughout the night. I do this everytime I take medicine. Annoying.

Feeling crappy, I couldn't even manage to pull myself together until about 3pm today. I layed in bed ALL morning. It made me realize how spoiled I have become with things in my life. For starters, the sun. It has been raining for 23 straight days on and off. That's a whole lotta rain for Texas!! I didn't realize how much I depend on the weather until things I normally do are hindered by it. (swimteam and my exercise didn't happen today) Let alone really have the motivation to drag kids out in it. Each time I talk with my grandma, she expresses how wonderful it would be to have rain. I guess living in AZ you would welcome any sort of drop in temperature. I am sure I will be eating my words about rain a year from now.

Doug, Erik, and Flo
Father's Day Morning 4:30am

Unfortunately, rain has caused a delay in several airports along the Northeast. Normally I wouldn't even care but today a delay means more time for my poor husband to sit at an airport. His flight from Maine has been delayed several hours along with his connecting flight back home. I think we get spoiled with the transportation means we have living in our country. What? A delay....come on! At any rate I am still hopeful that he will make it home before midnight. I have been anticipating this day for the past 2 weeks. And the other bummer is while he was there at his study course his computer crashed on him due to some virus in the internet world @$@$! Doug has decided that was the last PC he will ever own.

I have also realize how spoiled I am into having such a supportive, helpful husband. Doug may be gone on call, off and on, but he rarely goes out of town. These past 13 days haven't been terrible, but not having him around for bedtime rituals, dinner, and just as a companion has been tough. I don't know how several of you do 6 weeks or even months at a time flying solo. I can only imagine how hard it is! I hate to appear like a wet blanket, (truely how I feel) but now I know exactly why I should be grateful for so many things. What I would do to feel healthy today! I think I have realized how spoiled I really am.

good deed: read scriptures with the kids.

Summer Snack Survival

I have discussed this topic before, but thought it was appropriate to bring it up again. Since summer time has begun my kids seem to have grumbly tummies ALL day long! How did they survive during school? Did they whine at their teachers how HUNGRY they were? Or complain that they were STARVING? Obviously, wanting to eat alot of times stems from bordom. You won't find me raving about how healthy we are in our house, because quite frankly as far as sugar goes I just can't do without it. Except for cereal. I grew up on Cheerios and bananas minus the sugar. I also remember having Rice Krispies and occasionally when I went to grandma's I ate Lucky Charms, but it was rare. Grandma's house was where the treats were. My kids on the other hand, have learned (by my bad example) that sugar cereals are the best. Or maybe I can blame Doug on this one, he grew up with these types of cereals. We would make Seinfeld proud as to how much milk and cereal we keep in our house at all times. We may not have things to cook for dinner, but you can bet we always have seveal boxes cereal. My kids would eat this stuff all day long if I allowed them too. It has become the staple of survival in our home. (and saved me on numerous occasions) It does wonders in little baggies for the car. Instant snack! It also vaccums up nicely. And can you believe they won't touch this stuff for breakfast?? Nope, we stick to oatmeal, pancakes, french toast, or toast with eggs. So all you moms out there who eat healthy (and I am by no means knocking you) Kuddos to you, because I have just taken the lazy/cheap way to feeding my kids.


good deed: packaged up some just because mail to send.

Luke Makes 4!

4 years ago before going to the hospital I looked like this (yikes!) Luke was our first Texas born. He definitely brings much joy into our home. Luke was the only one delivered by his dad. I often say he is the comic relief of all our kids. He has a mind of his own and if it isn't his way, it's the highway! He is our authoritarian and makes sure we all are following the rules. Nothing gets past that kid! Here are some fun photos I have found and love about Luke.......

He loves to play with his daddy.

He loves adventure and to be outdoors.

He wanted to be buzz when he was 2 years old and still LOVES buzz.
I guess somethings never change.

He's good at this......

And this.

He is our camera ham and loves to pose for photos.

He loves to build with anything, legos, lincoln logs and dominoes.

He is the middle one with spunk!
And really looks up to his older siblings.

He doesn't like loud noises (or fireworks)

His brother and him are somedays best buds and others not.
They are only 21 months apart.

He loves cars and will play them for hours.

At school he told everyone he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up.

He has a birthmark on his head, it's a blonde patch.
Many think he has a bald spot or I colored his hair.

He was our earliest to be potty trained 2 years 3 months.......come on Weston :)

His best girl is Maryn

He has a "devil" smile with great dimples.

He loves to give Weston zurburts on his tummy

It never fails each night before bed, he has to read a story, have his flashlight
and he wants you to rub his back "this many times" with his hands up.

This is the blanket I made him when he was born.
I think it has gotten a lot of love. He has to sleep with it EVERY night.

His favorite color is green (and apparently likes to wear it)

He is always the first one to fall asleep.
And is so good about staying in bed when he is told.


Yesterday he was 3, and now he is 4! We love you Luke and especially the personality and life you bring into our home. Happy 4th Birthday Lukie!

This has been Luke's song since he was a few days old.
We replaced the lyrics from Superman to "Luke Ryan"

SPT Hola

Hi y'all from San Antonio. I got a little tired of just seeing myself in the SPT photos. So, I opted to grab my twin and made her join me. Nothing is better than taking a break from kids, the crazy running around that summer brings and eating here. This was a new sign just posted, and really speaks for itself. It was definitely "Muy Delicioso!" Anyone up for a visit?

good deed: Monday had FHE with kids.
good deed: Got some birthday stuff together for July.

This Day

I think it's quite comical when I snap a photo of my kids each Sunday, if only you could be a fly on the wall. And there was noise in the background. (I guess it's good there isn't :) I would be labeled the wicked witch!! Jared isn't pictured because he was mad about something and right before snapping it the little boys were totally fighting. Ahhh.... welcome to Sunday mornings in my house. Once again, I found myself dreading church. I hate that I do that, but truth be known it's hard to even get anything out of church with noisy little boys. I am SO glad I made myself go, because today was probably one of the best high council Sunday's we have had in a long time. I even managed to take a few notes. Woo hoo for me! The talks were based on Elder Eyring's talk in General Conference.

She started out by discussing the daylight savings and how we have a few more hours each day. With this "extra" time that we have what are we doing? Are we using our time wisely? Heavenly Father has given us this extra time to prepare ourselves and not put off things of importance.

"Even the Savior, who was without sin set an example of the need not to procrastinate. He said: I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."

I can only speak for myself, but I am the queen of procrastination and making terrible use of my time. Hello? Internet usage literally can waste away some of my days. We were also given a quiz by the sister who taught relief society today. It was a list of questions asking us how prepared we were for eternal life. (I'll spare you the guilty questions) I'll I have to say for myself is ouch! I definitely have a lot of work to do and to set my priorities in better order. I have found myself falling into the traps of Satan many times. Here is a quote that really hit home:

"Complacency can affect even the seasoned adult. The better and the longer you serve, the more likely that the tempter can place this lie in your mind: "You have earned a rest." You may have been the Primary President in your little branch twice. Or may have worked long and hard on your mission and sacrificed so much to serve. Or perhaps you were the pioneer in the Church where you live. The thought may come: "Why not leave the service to the new people. I have done my part." The temptation will be to believe that you will return to serve again, someday."

The best thing about leaving church is feeling a sense of tackling your weaknesses. We learn and study the same principals each week, I know I have a lot of work to do. I am just grateful for the opportunity to repent these things and for a loving, forgiving Savior. On our way home, I was feeling rejuvenated and spotted this on our drive home. I loved seeing the rows upon rows of black eyed susans line the road.

My son continues to challenge my patience on a day to day basis. Did I mention I am thankful for repentence?? Jared thinks he needs to undress himself in the car on the drive home. It literally erks me and Doug to no end. I stopped the car and told him to fix his tie or he would be wearing it the remainder of the day. He had his shirt unbuttoned and tie almost completely off! I know mean mom, but we have warned him about this several times. Grrr. Looks like time is wasting away sitting here, I am off for family scripture study.

good deed: got some stuff organized for the ward party.

Early Jumpstart

I had dreaded today since we had to get up so early! 6am to be exact. I haven't done that since school was in session. Luckily, last night I got most of the stuff prepared for this morning. I choose to get a babysitter for the little boys and headed off across town for the 9am swimmeet. Since fighting with them wasn't my idea of a good time. My kids have had their fair share of babysitters, but they get really excited when Kirk comes over. I am sure it has something to do with being a boy. He is a really great kid! Since our family hasn't seen the kids swim. Here are some videos I took this morning.....

Taylor swimming 25M freestyle

Jared 25M freestyle
I have no idea what he was doing after he dove off the side.
I thought he sank until, I saw him pop up. Hilarious!

Taylor 25M breast stroke. For some reason I can turn the video--sorry!
They had 2 heats and the other girls in her heat didn't show up, so Taylor swam solo.
I guess it really doesn't matter since you are racing against the clock.
This is by far Taylor's best stroke. (oddly, it was mine as well)

We have one more meet which is divisionals next Friday. Divisionals are when they compete against 7 other teams instead of just one. In order to move on to "All Stars" you have to place 1st or 2nd. This will definitely be more challenging this year since we moved up a division. Over all, the kids had a great time this season. They may not be the fastest swimmers, but they seemed to really enjoy it. Oh, and I failed to mention the other day Jared lost his fourth tooth. Looks like someone else in our family is going to become richer besides Taylor. Welcome to the ackward stage in life! Ahhhhh.

good deed: played a game with the kids.

Jonas Brothers

A few weeks ago Taylor specifically asked me if we were going to Fiesta Texas on the 21st of June. Of course, then I had no idea what I was doing on that particular day of the week. Most days we play it by ear and go when it's convienent. After much pleading she and Mackenzi convinced us to go to the Jonas Brothers Concert. At first I wasn't about to go, because quite frankly paying for the ALL the little ones wouldn't be worth it. We found out it was free.....with some conditions. I called to find out what stipulations applied. It was free as long as you had a ticket. In order to get this ticket, you had to have the person present with their season pass. But, you couldn't get this piece of paper at the front gate, you had to go into the park and trek across where you go to obtain season passes. Come on people!! Taylor wanted to go soo bad, and she really is a great kid I couldn't not go. I volunteered to take the older kids, while Angie stayed behind with Weston and Luke. We were successful (besides the fact I was soaked from the heat walking into the park and back). However, it was looking grim on the way home. The temperature in the car went from 87 down to 73 in a matter of 15 minutes.

This was outside the car window as we were driving home on the freeway. Is that the eeriest sight you have ever seen? Luckily, we still had a few hours to the concert. It literally poured and left within an hour. Very strange.

We got to the park and had to wait in this line before entering the amphitheatre. The Jonas Brothers came out around 6:30pm. (yah for early Disney concerts!) Jordan Pruitt was the opening act before them. (I wasn't too impressed with her)

I thought they were pretty entertaining, however this is what I dealt with the entire concert. My two little boys had pretty much had their fill after 1 song. This was no act. Weston was having some serious melting down.

So instead of dwelling on the joys of smotherhood. I treated myself with this beauty. And boy was it delicious!! Isn't it amazing what measures and lengths we go to for our kids??



good deed: had family scripture study

Miss Chanel

35 things I love about Miss Chanel......

1. Her ablity to throw and organize HUGE parties. She did an 80's party for Eric 30th birthday. I never attended a non-successful one.

2. Her creativity. She concocted this costume from her wardrobe for Mindy's Star Wars party.

3. We used to eat at Cafe Du Monde for playgroup each Friday and let our kids ride the $1 train.


4. She has a great smile.

5. I don't know any other person who loved Mardi Gras more than me, except Chanel. Here she is with Ruby just a few days old at a parade. Now that is dedication!

6. She is good at under estimating how much fabric she needs (remember how many times we had to go back to JoAnn's for more?)


7. She loves dogs, especially Max.

8. She never drinks anything but water.


9. She talked me into coloring my hair and I now I am addicted. (but get it done professionally) Aren't we cute?

10. She caused me to shed many tears after leaving New Orleans. We were neighbors for 4 years.

11. The adventures we had together in medical school. We took a road trip to Bioloxi for a girlfriend getaway with Dori and sat in the bathroom in the dark, just so the kids would go to sleep. I think we were crazy! Good times.

12. I spent many hours on her green couch chit chatting.

13. Her love for brown sandals (do you still own that Bass pair?)

14. She is a fun mom and does so many creative things with her kids.

15. Watched Taylor many times for me at any given time/moment.

16. Invited us over EVERY Christmas Eve for her mom's fabulous soup. (Vishe' Sway)


17. She loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor.

18. She tells it like it is, very honest. (no secrets for Chanel) I love that about her.


19. She always wanted just girls, I guess that is why she has three.

20. She eats 3 breakfasts (and still manages to stay skinny)

21. She LOVES In & Out Burger grilled cheese with onions.

22. Our #3 kids are 6 days apart and both of their names begin with "L"


23. She has an amazing quilting talent.


24. She has an "eye" for photography. (I was lucky that she used Taylor as her guinea pig when she started)


25. Her and Eric make a great pair. They are seriously some of the best people I know.

26. I can call her for advice at anytime.

27. I miss our walks pulling the kids in the wagon on Carrollton Ave. in Old Metairie.

28. She is a wonderful relief society teacher (even though she thinks she isn't).

29. She writes everything down on her calendar. If it isn't on there, she won't remember it.

30. She only has one sister and is very close to her.

31. She makes the best of every situation.

32. Halloween is her favorite holiday.

33. She is very competitive :)

34. She loves the beach--a California girl at heart.


35. She is a wonderful wife, mother and friend!

Hope you have a great day my sweet friend! Miss you tons!

If you want to wish Chanel a Happy Birthday click here.

good deed: delivered an important paper to Doug's office.