Today was the Ward Primary Program. Marshall memorized his part really quickly this year (homeschool is paying off - we do memory work a couple times a week). We practiced and practiced, even after he had it down pat, just so he would be comfortable saying it once he got up to the podium.
The presidency member who was up at the front helping kids with their parts had gone up to usher Marshall's class down from their seats and up to the front. He was the first speaker in his class and arrived at the podium before she got back down to cue him.
He knew what he was supposed to do and did it! He just got right up there, said his part, and walked back to his seat! I was so proud!!! He said the part perfectly, too! I was beaming :D
His part was, "Article of Faith number 3 says, 'We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."
Thanks for making me one proud Momma, Marshall! I love you!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
"Amelia Bedelias"
Do you remember the Amelia Bedelia books from early elementary? Amelia is a maid for a family and takes everything quite literally. When the family goes camping and tells her to "pitch a tent" she literally throws the tent. Anyway, here are some of the boys' Amelia Bedelia moments:
Me: "We are going to catch up on history today in school."
Marshall: "Ketchup on history? Ah ha ha ha!"
Coen: "Me eat this Mommy?" as he holds up the patty from his hamburger.
Me: "Put it between the bun."
Coen: Kneels up on his chair and starts to put the patty between his buns.
Me: "We are going to catch up on history today in school."
Marshall: "Ketchup on history? Ah ha ha ha!"
Coen: "Me eat this Mommy?" as he holds up the patty from his hamburger.
Me: "Put it between the bun."
Coen: Kneels up on his chair and starts to put the patty between his buns.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Coen's Third Birthday
My "baby boy" turned THREE on Thursday! I really wanted to go all out with a Monster themed party (see my collection of all things "monster" on Pinterest), but our tiny apartment (and budget) wouldn't allow for it. Instead we decided to invite our friends, the Morris family, over for dinner and cake. Their two boys are 5 and 3 and are Marshall and Coen's best friends. The four of them play so well together, despite the age differences. Jeanene was kind enough to bring her camera and capture the night's events for me because I couldn't find my battery charger! Thanks, Jeanene!!
The big 3 year old!
A remote control Big Foot!
I love this picture, it perfectly describes little boys and their goofiness and inability to hold still for long! Greyson (top left) Christian (top right)
The Imaginext Sky Racers Carrier
and 2 Sky Racer Planes to go with it.
The boys had fun playing with the new toys.
I love that there is so much detail in the Imaginext toys. Here is Coen discovering all the cool tricks the plane can do.
What the cake was supposed to look like:
How it actually turned out:
The birthday boy loved his "Monster Cake" and that's all that matters! He had talked about this for weeks!
YUM!
The big 3 year old!
A remote control Big Foot!
I love this picture, it perfectly describes little boys and their goofiness and inability to hold still for long! Greyson (top left) Christian (top right)
The Imaginext Sky Racers Carrier
and 2 Sky Racer Planes to go with it.
The boys had fun playing with the new toys.
I love that there is so much detail in the Imaginext toys. Here is Coen discovering all the cool tricks the plane can do.What the cake was supposed to look like:
How it actually turned out:
The cake: The top picture was what inspired the Monster theme in the first place. It is so cool looking and looks relatively easy compared to some of the cakes I've done. I kept procrastinating on looking up exactly what decorator tip they used for the frosting and what candy they used for eyes. By the time I got done with what I thought the frosting was supposed to be like though, I couldn't have cared less! I had THREE disposable frosting bags pop open on me (literally, on ME!). Finally I just finished up by smearing the rest of the frosting on how you normally would - and swearing this was the last attempt I make at cake decorating. From now on it's plain old sheet cakes and frosting around here!
The birthday boy loved his "Monster Cake" and that's all that matters! He had talked about this for weeks!
YUM!Happy Birthday, Baby Boy! No matter how old you get, you will ALWAYS be my baby! I love you!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Pregnancy
Conception: Let me just say...Blessings come from attending the temple!!!
John and I both knew when I got pregnant with Coen that there was another baby in Heaven for us. A couple times since then either he or I have felt that still. The last time was a year ago, September 2010, when we decided to start trying to get pregnant because it was time for another baby.
In July while in Utah, we were able to go to the temple one evening with John's entire family. While we were there I was planning on spending some time in the Celestial Room with John, praying and hopefully having it confirmed that yes, there was still a baby waiting for us. Unfortunately we didn't have time to do this, but the prayer was in my heart the whole time. One thing stood out to me during the session and as I look back, I think this was a confirmation to my question.
Well, the baby is due about 40 weeks from that night!!!
Baby, 1st Trimester: My OBGYN was monitoring my pregnancy closely, so they had me come in for blood tests, 48 hours apart, to make sure my hormone levels were increasing as expected. The first blood draw was on a Monday, the next on Wednesday. I had just gotten back from the Wednesday appointment when they called and said that the results from Monday looked great. I was stoked! But on Thursday when they called, they said the levels from Wednesday weren't as high as expected and they wanted me to come in for an ultrasound to see if they could determine what was going on.
Scared and in tears, I went in alone because John had a meeting at work. On the way to the office, I prayed for comfort. I instantly stopped crying and felt that everything would be okay. The ultrasound tech found an embryonic sac and yolk, good signs, but no baby. The doctor said it was either too early to see still, or that there was no baby. So I came in 5 days later, with John this time, and luckily they found the baby! I was so relieved!! They calculated my due date - March 18th! I was 5 weeks pregnant then.
At the next appointment the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler. She had me come back for an ultrasound an hour and a half later. I tried not to panic and focused on the feeling of comfort I had felt up until this point, that everything would be okay and exercised faith that because of the circumstances surrounding the conception, that this really was it and we were having a baby. Again, the ultrasound tech found the heartbeat and everything looked great!
Me, 1st Trimester: I nearly died. No. Really. The first few weeks I was nauseous, throwing up, dizzy, had migraines everyday, vertigo, and could barely open my eyes I was so tired. This had never happened before in my pregnancies, so I didn't know how long it would last. I missed my mom being there to take the boys while I rested and didn't feel well and I cursed the day we left Utah and wondered why on Earth I wanted to get pregnant.
I was miserable and went to see our family doctor for my migraines. Lo and behold, I had had a sinus infection the whole time that was causing all my misery! As soon as that cleared up I felt a lot better. I was still exhausted and nauseous until about 11/12 weeks, but I survived ;)
I have an aversion to sweets and rich desserts. I cannot eat cooked vegetables unless they're in a casserole or other dish of some sort. The first time I tried to eat steamed broccoli this pregnancy, I started dry heaving. We use whole wheat spaghetti, but I couldn't handle the texture. Marshall had a scab on his back that was wet from swimming one day and I again dry heaved when he showed it to me. Usually scabs, blood, and owies don't bother me like that! Even John's beard smells bad to me right now!
Baby, 2nd Trimester: Just this week I felt the baby start kicking and moving around. Truly the best feeling a pregnant mom can feel!
Me, 2nd Trimester: I finally feel normal again. So far my cravings include french fries, Pretzelmaker pretzels, french fries, bagels, and french fries. Oh, did I mention french fries?
I have to wait until 21 weeks for my diagnostic ultrasound, when we'll find out the gender. I'm also trying to decide if I should do I repeat c-section or try for a VBAC. If I do a VBAC, I have to find a new doctor which is such a hassle! I've given myself until 20 weeks to decide what I'm going to do.
Anyway, that's what's happened so far in my pregnancy! We're SO excited to have another baby around!
John and I both knew when I got pregnant with Coen that there was another baby in Heaven for us. A couple times since then either he or I have felt that still. The last time was a year ago, September 2010, when we decided to start trying to get pregnant because it was time for another baby.
In July while in Utah, we were able to go to the temple one evening with John's entire family. While we were there I was planning on spending some time in the Celestial Room with John, praying and hopefully having it confirmed that yes, there was still a baby waiting for us. Unfortunately we didn't have time to do this, but the prayer was in my heart the whole time. One thing stood out to me during the session and as I look back, I think this was a confirmation to my question.
Well, the baby is due about 40 weeks from that night!!!
Baby, 1st Trimester: My OBGYN was monitoring my pregnancy closely, so they had me come in for blood tests, 48 hours apart, to make sure my hormone levels were increasing as expected. The first blood draw was on a Monday, the next on Wednesday. I had just gotten back from the Wednesday appointment when they called and said that the results from Monday looked great. I was stoked! But on Thursday when they called, they said the levels from Wednesday weren't as high as expected and they wanted me to come in for an ultrasound to see if they could determine what was going on.
Scared and in tears, I went in alone because John had a meeting at work. On the way to the office, I prayed for comfort. I instantly stopped crying and felt that everything would be okay. The ultrasound tech found an embryonic sac and yolk, good signs, but no baby. The doctor said it was either too early to see still, or that there was no baby. So I came in 5 days later, with John this time, and luckily they found the baby! I was so relieved!! They calculated my due date - March 18th! I was 5 weeks pregnant then.
At the next appointment the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler. She had me come back for an ultrasound an hour and a half later. I tried not to panic and focused on the feeling of comfort I had felt up until this point, that everything would be okay and exercised faith that because of the circumstances surrounding the conception, that this really was it and we were having a baby. Again, the ultrasound tech found the heartbeat and everything looked great!
Me, 1st Trimester: I nearly died. No. Really. The first few weeks I was nauseous, throwing up, dizzy, had migraines everyday, vertigo, and could barely open my eyes I was so tired. This had never happened before in my pregnancies, so I didn't know how long it would last. I missed my mom being there to take the boys while I rested and didn't feel well and I cursed the day we left Utah and wondered why on Earth I wanted to get pregnant.
I was miserable and went to see our family doctor for my migraines. Lo and behold, I had had a sinus infection the whole time that was causing all my misery! As soon as that cleared up I felt a lot better. I was still exhausted and nauseous until about 11/12 weeks, but I survived ;)
I have an aversion to sweets and rich desserts. I cannot eat cooked vegetables unless they're in a casserole or other dish of some sort. The first time I tried to eat steamed broccoli this pregnancy, I started dry heaving. We use whole wheat spaghetti, but I couldn't handle the texture. Marshall had a scab on his back that was wet from swimming one day and I again dry heaved when he showed it to me. Usually scabs, blood, and owies don't bother me like that! Even John's beard smells bad to me right now!
Baby, 2nd Trimester: Just this week I felt the baby start kicking and moving around. Truly the best feeling a pregnant mom can feel!
Me, 2nd Trimester: I finally feel normal again. So far my cravings include french fries, Pretzelmaker pretzels, french fries, bagels, and french fries. Oh, did I mention french fries?
I have to wait until 21 weeks for my diagnostic ultrasound, when we'll find out the gender. I'm also trying to decide if I should do I repeat c-section or try for a VBAC. If I do a VBAC, I have to find a new doctor which is such a hassle! I've given myself until 20 weeks to decide what I'm going to do.
Anyway, that's what's happened so far in my pregnancy! We're SO excited to have another baby around!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Deanna Rose Children's Farm
On Tuesday we went to a children's farm over in Kansas with a friend and her 2 little girls. The boys loved all there was to do and see as we strolled around in perfect weather. I love that it's cooling off here and we can do more outside activities.
We were able to feed the baby goats with bottles! It was so much fun.
We were able to feed the baby goats with bottles! It was so much fun.
It took Coen awhile to remember to tip the bottle up so the milk flowed down to the nipple.
The goats were strong little sucklers and we had to hold onto the bottles really tight.
We also fed the older models some goat feed out of our palms.
Coen was much braver than I expected him to be.
Marshall is fearless of animals.
Marshall's favorite part was the horse he got to ride. He told Dad as soon as he got home from work and even called Grammy to tell her about it.
The person selling tickets was a missionary and when they told me you had to be 3 to ride, I just couldn't bring myself to lie to a missionary! I told him Coen was only 3 weeks away and they still said no!
I didn't think Coen would want to ride such a big animal, but as we were in line waiting for Marshall's turn he kept asking if he could. So I sent Marshall over to buy another ticket. Shh! Don't tell!!
He loved it!!!
We also went for a leisurely horse drawn hay ride. I imagined being a pioneer and how slow their trek west must have been and just how impatient I am. It was fun though and the boys loved it when the driver had the horses do a sprint to the end!Thursday, September 22, 2011
Coen-isms
-------------------------I'll keep this post updated as he says these things-------------------------
I was in bed one morning and John was making breakfast. Coen comes running in, crying. "Mom, me no like dinner." (He calls all meals 'dinner') Me: "What's Daddy making?" Coen: "Poop!" then laughs at himself.
Speaking of potty language. This boy has a mouth on him! I used to ask him if he had "poopy pants" when I could smell a dirty diaper. Well then he started calling Marshall "poopy pants" as an insult. The more I tell him not to, the more he does it, so I'm hoping he'll outgrow it??
Coen likes to play Angry Birds on my phone and shoot them straight up in the air, laugh, and say "daaaane it!"
Coen woke up last night and I was out at the computer when he comes out looking for his "hank" (blanket). I gather him up in my arms and say "Come here pumpkin, let's go back to bed." and he says, "Me not a pumpkin, mommy!"
I made up a song "Who wants dome dinner, some dinner, some dinner tonight?" and Coen replied, "It's not Rockband, Momma!"
One night at dinner Coen dropped a spoonful of food. Sadly he said, "Mom, me spill my food." I told him the dog would eat it later, but that wasn't good enough for him. Dash was sleeping under the table so Coen said, "Puppy! Puppy! Wake up! Come eat my food!" Then happily, he looked up at me and said, "Mom! Dashy eat my food," and giggled.
Sometimes I talk to him about the baby in my tummy. He likes to point to different body parts and say, "No, baby in your EYE!" and then laughs at his joke hysterically.
Before bed while I'm laying with him he'll randomly say, "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" I reply. "(Insert something goofy and unintelligible here)" and laughs.
I'll ask him what his name is and his reply is ALWAYS, "Baby Boy."
The other day John threatened to spank him. Sadly, he looked up at me and said, "Me little, Momma."
I was in bed one morning and John was making breakfast. Coen comes running in, crying. "Mom, me no like dinner." (He calls all meals 'dinner') Me: "What's Daddy making?" Coen: "Poop!" then laughs at himself.
Speaking of potty language. This boy has a mouth on him! I used to ask him if he had "poopy pants" when I could smell a dirty diaper. Well then he started calling Marshall "poopy pants" as an insult. The more I tell him not to, the more he does it, so I'm hoping he'll outgrow it??
Coen likes to play Angry Birds on my phone and shoot them straight up in the air, laugh, and say "daaaane it!"
Coen woke up last night and I was out at the computer when he comes out looking for his "hank" (blanket). I gather him up in my arms and say "Come here pumpkin, let's go back to bed." and he says, "Me not a pumpkin, mommy!"
I made up a song "Who wants dome dinner, some dinner, some dinner tonight?" and Coen replied, "It's not Rockband, Momma!"
One night at dinner Coen dropped a spoonful of food. Sadly he said, "Mom, me spill my food." I told him the dog would eat it later, but that wasn't good enough for him. Dash was sleeping under the table so Coen said, "Puppy! Puppy! Wake up! Come eat my food!" Then happily, he looked up at me and said, "Mom! Dashy eat my food," and giggled.
Sometimes I talk to him about the baby in my tummy. He likes to point to different body parts and say, "No, baby in your EYE!" and then laughs at his joke hysterically.
Before bed while I'm laying with him he'll randomly say, "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" I reply. "(Insert something goofy and unintelligible here)" and laughs.
I'll ask him what his name is and his reply is ALWAYS, "Baby Boy."
The other day John threatened to spank him. Sadly, he looked up at me and said, "Me little, Momma."
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Where were you?
Every year on 9/11 I think about writing this post. And every year I sit down to put my experience of that day, of that time in my life, on "paper". And I can't. I get stuck. It gets too emotional for me. But with the 10th Anniversary I decided it was time. I want to tell my story of that day for my posterity.
I had just turned 18 nine days before and had just started my senior year of high school. The morning of September 11th was just like any other. Walking into the school from the parking lot, I saw my friend, Ashley, and we decided to sluff Humanities and go to Einsteins up by the U to scope out the cute college guys. On our way to her car was her other friend, Linlee, and she came along too. We had a normal breakfast, listened to a mix CD Linlee had made Ashley for her b-day (she had turned 18 the day before), and made it back to school in time for the next period.
Ten of our closest friends shared a locker (Locker 56 to be exact) in the main hall and as we walked in we saw our group, one of many, huddled together, holding each other, and sobbing. Ashley and I were sure someone at the school had died. My BFF, Rachael, explained what had happened that morning in New York. Apparently most teachers had left the news on during first period and let the students watch it.
Unfortunately, because of sluffing, that's the extent of what I heard until later in the day. My third period teacher (we were on even/odd block days) wouldn't let us watch the news. Towards the end of third period the alarms at the school went off and everyone was ushered outside to the field. Someone had called into the school with a bomb threat - today of all days! We were all outside, everyone on their cell phones talking to their parents.
Since I had work release, I had to leave to go start my shift at Jamba Juice but they wouldn't let me go without a parents' release. I think I called my mom and had her tell the secretary or someone that I could leave. It turned out that the bomb threat was a prank, and we weren't the only school in Salt Lake to have that happen that day.
After work I went home where I finally got to watch the news. I remember sitting on the coffee table with my mom, in silence, just watching as they played the same footage over and over and over. Both of us were just in tears, especially when they showed close ups of what was coming out of the windows - bodies.
Fast forward a little bit, and my step-mom quit her job teaching first grade because "life was too short to keep doing something you don't love" - or something like that that 9/11 made her realize. I used to put a lot of stock into the philosophical things my dad and step-mom said, so I took that to heart.
I knew what I wanted in life: I wanted to get married, and have a family and I *thought* I knew how and with who. I had just said good-bye to a missionary who entered the MTC the day after 9/11. I was unofficially waiting for him, swearing off all boys for 2 years (a hard task for me), and was going to be ready and worthy to marry him upon his return.
So during UEA break a few weeks later I was staying at a friends house for a few days with her while her parents were out of town. On my second night there I was working the closing shift at Jamba and we had just locked up when my friends called. Drunk. They told me they were saving me some and to hurry home. I sat there completely dumb-founded. We always had so much fun together WITHOUT getting drunk, why would they start this now? My mind was made up when I was a little girl so when I got off work I went over to pick up my stuff at her house and then headed home. My friends were mad, said I was judging them, and just didn't understand. We stopped hanging out after that and a few more other incidents.
For the next few months I sat at home with my mom on Friday and Saturday nights. We would go grocery shopping together on Friday nights and rent Doris Day and Aubrey Hepburn movies on Saturday nights. I eventually found other friends to hang out with.
Had it not been for that missionary and my determination to be worthy and not have a clear picture of what I wanted in mind, I don't know if I would have been so strong and 9/11 changed all that for me. It made me realize that life was precious, that in a moment it can all be taken away, and the attitude "I'm young, nothing can happen to me" that I had had up until that point, wasn't true. Life was too short to do something I didn't really want to do.
I still had plenty of fun my senior year, thanks to some wonderful friends. But I do believe that September 11th changed me, or at least made me grow up a little.
I had just turned 18 nine days before and had just started my senior year of high school. The morning of September 11th was just like any other. Walking into the school from the parking lot, I saw my friend, Ashley, and we decided to sluff Humanities and go to Einsteins up by the U to scope out the cute college guys. On our way to her car was her other friend, Linlee, and she came along too. We had a normal breakfast, listened to a mix CD Linlee had made Ashley for her b-day (she had turned 18 the day before), and made it back to school in time for the next period.
Ten of our closest friends shared a locker (Locker 56 to be exact) in the main hall and as we walked in we saw our group, one of many, huddled together, holding each other, and sobbing. Ashley and I were sure someone at the school had died. My BFF, Rachael, explained what had happened that morning in New York. Apparently most teachers had left the news on during first period and let the students watch it.
Unfortunately, because of sluffing, that's the extent of what I heard until later in the day. My third period teacher (we were on even/odd block days) wouldn't let us watch the news. Towards the end of third period the alarms at the school went off and everyone was ushered outside to the field. Someone had called into the school with a bomb threat - today of all days! We were all outside, everyone on their cell phones talking to their parents.
Since I had work release, I had to leave to go start my shift at Jamba Juice but they wouldn't let me go without a parents' release. I think I called my mom and had her tell the secretary or someone that I could leave. It turned out that the bomb threat was a prank, and we weren't the only school in Salt Lake to have that happen that day.
After work I went home where I finally got to watch the news. I remember sitting on the coffee table with my mom, in silence, just watching as they played the same footage over and over and over. Both of us were just in tears, especially when they showed close ups of what was coming out of the windows - bodies.
Fast forward a little bit, and my step-mom quit her job teaching first grade because "life was too short to keep doing something you don't love" - or something like that that 9/11 made her realize. I used to put a lot of stock into the philosophical things my dad and step-mom said, so I took that to heart.
I knew what I wanted in life: I wanted to get married, and have a family and I *thought* I knew how and with who. I had just said good-bye to a missionary who entered the MTC the day after 9/11. I was unofficially waiting for him, swearing off all boys for 2 years (a hard task for me), and was going to be ready and worthy to marry him upon his return.
So during UEA break a few weeks later I was staying at a friends house for a few days with her while her parents were out of town. On my second night there I was working the closing shift at Jamba and we had just locked up when my friends called. Drunk. They told me they were saving me some and to hurry home. I sat there completely dumb-founded. We always had so much fun together WITHOUT getting drunk, why would they start this now? My mind was made up when I was a little girl so when I got off work I went over to pick up my stuff at her house and then headed home. My friends were mad, said I was judging them, and just didn't understand. We stopped hanging out after that and a few more other incidents.
For the next few months I sat at home with my mom on Friday and Saturday nights. We would go grocery shopping together on Friday nights and rent Doris Day and Aubrey Hepburn movies on Saturday nights. I eventually found other friends to hang out with.
Had it not been for that missionary and my determination to be worthy and not have a clear picture of what I wanted in mind, I don't know if I would have been so strong and 9/11 changed all that for me. It made me realize that life was precious, that in a moment it can all be taken away, and the attitude "I'm young, nothing can happen to me" that I had had up until that point, wasn't true. Life was too short to do something I didn't really want to do.
I still had plenty of fun my senior year, thanks to some wonderful friends. But I do believe that September 11th changed me, or at least made me grow up a little.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Breaking, Broken, Gone
I look around at our furniture and want to scream. There is not a single room without a broken piece of furniture in it.
BOYS ROOM: The dresser/changing table we got when Marshall was a baby had 2 drawers break right before we moved, so we took it to the dump on moving day. Now we need one for new baby.
Coen's crib was recalled right before I had him but because that was such a stressful time I never dealt with it. I'm hoping it makes it through one more kid (without severing their neck) then we can kiss it goodbye. Plus I just read that ALL drop side cribs are no longer safe.
We JUST bought bunk beds for the boys this spring as Coen was climbing out of the aforementioned crib and preferred to sleep in ours or Marshall's bed. Which really wasn't working for any of us. Well, I realize that John and I are overweight but a twin size bed should be able to hold an adult! We lay with our kids before bed and read to them in bed (obviously not on the top bunk). The first week we had it the slats under Coen's mattress split right in half! Not only were they just made from plywood and could be broken with a simple karate chop (hi-yah!) but there were only 5. Total. Supporting the mattress. A trip to Home Depot solved the problem and John made some more planks out of REAL wood. All was well, then fast forward to last week when Marshall heaved himself across his bed and one of his planks split! It's been my nightmare that the top bed would collapse on Coen in the middle of the night and one of the beams would stab him or the mattress would suffocate him and we would find him dead. Well one more trip to Home Depot and Marshall's mattress now has a solid wooden beam every 2 inches. Oh, and somewhere in there the hooks on the top of the ladder came out, rendering the ladder useless. The boys use their dresser to climb up onto the bunk.
MASTER BEDROOM: John and I inherited my mom's bed when we got married. She's had the same one since she and my dad got married. We got a "new" to us mattress from a friend of John's parents then upgraded it last year with one from the sleep clinic my mom works for. We ditched the headboard before moving, John hated it. The mattress frame is currently being held together in the middle by an old tie of Johns because screws used to fall out of things and disappear at our old apartment. Can you say "poltergeist?"
And then there's our dresser. Our dear, sweet dresser. Our apartment at the U had built in dressers so we didn't need them when we got married. When we moved we just got the one from my old room at my mom's. Well considering I had had it since I was a baby, it was falling apart. So we asked for a new one for Christmas. My mom gave me money and I went to IKEA and picked one out. I loved it! Until a couple months later and the bottoms of the drawers started falling out! Then one day I pulled the handles to open a drawer and the entire front fell off. A million tiny nails later and John had it working like new. But each drawer has taken it's turn and we're now down to 2 functional full size drawers and 2 tiny ones.
LIVING ROOM: The boys have jumped on the couch so much that the support beams have broken and the seats sag. The dog has chewed through the cord to the foot pedal to my electric piano. I know longer buy decorative pillows for the couches because of how fast they are ruined. A couple weeks ago, John KICKED the coffee table to move it and the side and legs bent and now it's breaking. It might hold on for a longer while, provided no one touches it. Not to mention the dog has also chewed around the edges and legs of the coffee table and couches. Ugh.
DINING ROOM: We're on our third table and chair set in only 9 years of marriage. The first two were garage sale finds, courtesy of John's mom which we were very grateful for. Then last year as the second set was breaking and we were down to 2 chairs, we went to IKEA and bought a table and 4 chairs for only $129. A steal, right?! WRONG. IKEA SUCKS. Now we're down to a held-together-with-more-nails-than-it-came-with table, 1 wobbly chair, 1 somewhat sturdy stool (read: the back has broken off the chair), and 1 floppy seat stool.
I have had my eye on a table and 6 chair set for about a year now and I've watched the price go up and down with sales, so I know when it's a good deal. Right now I'm so desperate that I'd settle for 3 chairs, just so John can actually SIT at the table with us rather than kneel and so we can actually dine at the table when the missionaries or friends come over for dinner and so when we have kids over I don't have to worry about them falling off the "stools" because their chairs at home actually have backs. But then, I look behind me where right now Coen and Marshall are supposed to be coloring and I realize Coen is no longer coloring in his book, but rather on thechair stool he was sitting on only a moment ago and I'm actually GLAD we have crap for furniture. Sigh. Will I ever be able to have nice things??
**Note: I saw a typo in here earlier and now I can't find it but it's one that really bugs me when I see it, so please excuse me. Let's blame it on pregnancy brain, mmkay?
BOYS ROOM: The dresser/changing table we got when Marshall was a baby had 2 drawers break right before we moved, so we took it to the dump on moving day. Now we need one for new baby.
Coen's crib was recalled right before I had him but because that was such a stressful time I never dealt with it. I'm hoping it makes it through one more kid (without severing their neck) then we can kiss it goodbye. Plus I just read that ALL drop side cribs are no longer safe.
We JUST bought bunk beds for the boys this spring as Coen was climbing out of the aforementioned crib and preferred to sleep in ours or Marshall's bed. Which really wasn't working for any of us. Well, I realize that John and I are overweight but a twin size bed should be able to hold an adult! We lay with our kids before bed and read to them in bed (obviously not on the top bunk). The first week we had it the slats under Coen's mattress split right in half! Not only were they just made from plywood and could be broken with a simple karate chop (hi-yah!) but there were only 5. Total. Supporting the mattress. A trip to Home Depot solved the problem and John made some more planks out of REAL wood. All was well, then fast forward to last week when Marshall heaved himself across his bed and one of his planks split! It's been my nightmare that the top bed would collapse on Coen in the middle of the night and one of the beams would stab him or the mattress would suffocate him and we would find him dead. Well one more trip to Home Depot and Marshall's mattress now has a solid wooden beam every 2 inches. Oh, and somewhere in there the hooks on the top of the ladder came out, rendering the ladder useless. The boys use their dresser to climb up onto the bunk.
MASTER BEDROOM: John and I inherited my mom's bed when we got married. She's had the same one since she and my dad got married. We got a "new" to us mattress from a friend of John's parents then upgraded it last year with one from the sleep clinic my mom works for. We ditched the headboard before moving, John hated it. The mattress frame is currently being held together in the middle by an old tie of Johns because screws used to fall out of things and disappear at our old apartment. Can you say "poltergeist?"
And then there's our dresser. Our dear, sweet dresser. Our apartment at the U had built in dressers so we didn't need them when we got married. When we moved we just got the one from my old room at my mom's. Well considering I had had it since I was a baby, it was falling apart. So we asked for a new one for Christmas. My mom gave me money and I went to IKEA and picked one out. I loved it! Until a couple months later and the bottoms of the drawers started falling out! Then one day I pulled the handles to open a drawer and the entire front fell off. A million tiny nails later and John had it working like new. But each drawer has taken it's turn and we're now down to 2 functional full size drawers and 2 tiny ones.
LIVING ROOM: The boys have jumped on the couch so much that the support beams have broken and the seats sag. The dog has chewed through the cord to the foot pedal to my electric piano. I know longer buy decorative pillows for the couches because of how fast they are ruined. A couple weeks ago, John KICKED the coffee table to move it and the side and legs bent and now it's breaking. It might hold on for a longer while, provided no one touches it. Not to mention the dog has also chewed around the edges and legs of the coffee table and couches. Ugh.
DINING ROOM: We're on our third table and chair set in only 9 years of marriage. The first two were garage sale finds, courtesy of John's mom which we were very grateful for. Then last year as the second set was breaking and we were down to 2 chairs, we went to IKEA and bought a table and 4 chairs for only $129. A steal, right?! WRONG. IKEA SUCKS. Now we're down to a held-together-with-more-nails-than-it-came-with table, 1 wobbly chair, 1 somewhat sturdy stool (read: the back has broken off the chair), and 1 floppy seat stool.
I have had my eye on a table and 6 chair set for about a year now and I've watched the price go up and down with sales, so I know when it's a good deal. Right now I'm so desperate that I'd settle for 3 chairs, just so John can actually SIT at the table with us rather than kneel and so we can actually dine at the table when the missionaries or friends come over for dinner and so when we have kids over I don't have to worry about them falling off the "stools" because their chairs at home actually have backs. But then, I look behind me where right now Coen and Marshall are supposed to be coloring and I realize Coen is no longer coloring in his book, but rather on the
**Note: I saw a typo in here earlier and now I can't find it but it's one that really bugs me when I see it, so please excuse me. Let's blame it on pregnancy brain, mmkay?
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Wednesday June 22
On Wednesday afternoon I went to Melissa's to have lunch and hang out. It was just like old times. Her sister Rachelle stopped by so I got to see her, too. Melissa and I have been best friends since high school and we can always find so much to talk about.
That evening we went to the Salt Lake Temple to do an endowment session and some family sealings with John's whole family. It was such a great experience to be there all together!
That evening we went to the Salt Lake Temple to do an endowment session and some family sealings with John's whole family. It was such a great experience to be there all together!
Thursday, June 23
On Thursday morning I went to breakfast at Jamba Juice with my brother's ex-girlfriend. We had a fun time catching up.
That afternoon we headed to the Utah Arts Festival, where we've been going every year since I've known John. We've always just gone as a couple without kids so this year it was a different experience. We parked our selves in the kid's section and partnered them up in twos to go around to the different craft booths.
Laine, Marshall, and Eve don their bird masks
Atticus shows me his creations
Coen, Marshall, Eve, Laine, and Sam play on the teeter totters
Cute little Violet found a snail to rock on
Laine, Andrew, and Marshall
I love Andrew's hat! Very creative!
That afternoon we headed to the Utah Arts Festival, where we've been going every year since I've known John. We've always just gone as a couple without kids so this year it was a different experience. We parked our selves in the kid's section and partnered them up in twos to go around to the different craft booths.
Laine, Marshall, and Eve don their bird masks
Atticus shows me his creations
Coen, Marshall, Eve, Laine, and Sam play on the teeter totters
Cute little Violet found a snail to rock on
Laine, Andrew, and MarshallI love Andrew's hat! Very creative!
After the Arts Festival I picked up my younger (14 year old) cousin, Erikka for a girls night. I nannied her and her brothers for a year when I was pregnant with Marshall. I used to pick her up from first grade, take her home and do homework, then either do her hair and get her ready for dance class, or do arts and crafts or play with her. She is a sweet girl and so fun to hang out with. We went and got some nail polish then headed back to her house to paint our nails and watch Pretty Little Liars online. So fun!
Friday, June 24
On Friday morning we headed over to Melissa's parent's pool along with about 20 of her closest friends. As soon as people started to clear out it was just me, Melissa, Heather, and Sage. The kids played while we laid out and chatted like old times. I sure miss those days.
In the afternoon we packed up some overnight bags and went up to Oakley, Utah to spend the night with the Bradley's at our sister-in-law's family cabin. The kids loved all the fun things there were to do outside! We even had a barn dance!! Then we roasted s'mores. Thanks for providing such a fun venue, Josh and Sarah!!
Andrew and Laine
Sarah, Kirsten, Violet, Mel, and Me
Coen is all about the crusty these days.
James had a blast using this stomp rocket
Sitting around singing and listening to Kate play guitar
Coen
Eve
Kate!!
Sam and Marshall jammin'
Sam, Simon, Atticus, and Marshall do the chicken dance
Swing your partner round and round
So much fun!
Cute little Atticus doing the chicken dance
Andrew and Jacob partner dancing
Violet was playing peek-a-boo with me
Laine roasting some marshmallows
Sam admiring his work
Andrew and Laine
John showing off his sweet break-dancing moves
Uncle Josh shows Eve the best spot to roast a marshmallow
Enjoying the fruit of their marshmallow-roasting-labors:
Laine
Sam goes for a double-decker with Reeses cups - YUMMM!
Eve and James
Jacob has some walrus mouth going on with his marshmallow
In the afternoon we packed up some overnight bags and went up to Oakley, Utah to spend the night with the Bradley's at our sister-in-law's family cabin. The kids loved all the fun things there were to do outside! We even had a barn dance!! Then we roasted s'mores. Thanks for providing such a fun venue, Josh and Sarah!!
Andrew and Laine
Sarah, Kirsten, Violet, Mel, and Me
Coen is all about the crusty these days.
James had a blast using this stomp rocket
Sitting around singing and listening to Kate play guitar
Coen
Eve
Kate!!
Sam and Marshall jammin'
Sam, Simon, Atticus, and Marshall do the chicken dance
Swing your partner round and round
So much fun!
Cute little Atticus doing the chicken dance
Andrew and Jacob partner dancing
Violet was playing peek-a-boo with me
Laine roasting some marshmallows
Sam admiring his work
Andrew and Laine
John showing off his sweet break-dancing moves
Uncle Josh shows Eve the best spot to roast a marshmallowEnjoying the fruit of their marshmallow-roasting-labors:
Laine
Sam goes for a double-decker with Reeses cups - YUMMM!
Eve and James
Jacob has some walrus mouth going on with his marshmallow
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