Brent & Dani's Family Blog

We have two apps in the Apple iTunes App Store!!!!

2010-12-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

After many hours of learning and work during nights and weekends (yes, cutting into valuable XBOX Live gaming time) the following apps are now live!

The first app called, "Pashto" teaches phrases of friendship in a major language of Afghanistan to help people prepare to make friends in the target language.

The other app is a new LDS Trivia game for the iPhone. It's challenging and fun for all age groups and knowledge levels, great for a family night activity.

Day Eleven: Mormon Handcart Visitor's Center

2010-08-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

On day eleven, we went to the Mormon handcart visitor's center in Alcova Wyoming. This is where Martin's cove is. Martin's cove is where the Martin and Willey handcart companies got stranded due to lack of supplies and bad weather. I didn't know quite what to expect before we got there. It turned out to be so much more fun than I thought it would.

We first saw a movie that was taken from the journal of a 13-year-old boy who was one of the handcart pioneers. It talked about how his family struggled and how he found his father dead one morning. He also spoke of the joy they felt when they realized that the Lord had answered their prayers and sent rescuers. I think it really hit home for JR since he is so close in age. It was easy for him to put himself in that boy's shoes.

After that, we got to push some empty handcarts around a small gravel track. The kids loved it and even raced around with each other in their handcarts. I was amazed at how difficult it was to push a handcart for such a short distance! After just having run a marathon, I think it is safe to say I am in good shape. And yet, it was difficult to push the cart less than a quarter of a mile. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to push it 20 miles a day over much more difficult terrain.

Even Joe got to see how tough it is.

After the handcarts, we went into the Sweetwater museum. That is the ranch that was built several years later. The memorial is also set up to remember the family that lived there for so many years. The kids enjoyed seeing all of the antiques and hearing the stories. Sam enjoyed climbing all over everything.

Wild Ham!

In the blacksmith's shop they told a fun story about a prairie diamond and made one for each of the kids. It is a nail for a horse shoe that is bent into a ring. The kids got a kick out of that.

After that, Joe was too wild and out of control so we decided to get going and finish our trip to Utah. Of course, we had to stop by the stream so JR could see if there was any trout.

On our way out, we had a really good talk about all of the sacrifices the early pioneers made. We talked about how many babies died in the two handcart companies. It was really sad for the kids. JR asked me if I would do it knowing that I would loose our sweet Sammy. I told him that those pioneers left having faith that God would take care of them. Even when they lost those precious little ones, they knew God was watching over them and He would make it all right. The end of the journey was not Utah, but with the Lord. I later found an article and shared it with the kids. These words describe perfectly why this was such a humbling, inspiring place:

“ ‘I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.’ ” He continues: “ ‘I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

“ ‘Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.’ ” (Relief Society Magazine, Jan. 1948, p. 8.)

Day Ten: Bear Country USA

2010-08-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

On day ten we went to Beat Country USA. It was AWESOME! You start by driving your car through a type of animal preserve. They have lots of big animals like elk, reindeer, wolves, mountain goats, mountain lions, and several others. It was really neat to see so many magnificent animals so close. Amazing does not do justice.

The best part of the drive, of course, is the bears. We were giggling, and squealing, and laughing the whole time we were driving through them. They were literally brushing up against our car. It was unbelievable to be so close to 500 pounds of possible destruction. I didn't need to be told twice to keep my windows down!

Baby arctic wolves. So cute!

Sam enjoying the drive.

Can you believe this?! It was crazy having them so close.

After the drive, we walked around a place they call Babyland. They had bear cubs as well as other small animals like skunks, badgers, bobcats, and other fun animals. It was delightful as well. They also had one big grizzly that waved to Joe. It was delightful!

They even had a fun little train to ride. It cost a little extra but it was worth it. As you can see from the pictures, Bear Country is wonderful. It was definitely at the top of our list. It was so fun to drive around the huge bears and see the other animals up close like we did. And to top it all off, we saw the perfect restaurant on the way to Wyoming. Unfortunately, it was closed so we will have to be back!

Day Nine: Mount Rushmore

2010-08-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

On day nine we went to Mount Rushmore in beautiful South Dakota. Seriously, it was beautiful! I loved South Dakota. I told Brent maybe we should get a winter cabin there when we are rich. The moment you step out of your car, you are surrounded by the smell of pine trees. I loved it.

Mount Rushmore was not terribly interesting. You pretty much just look at the presidents' heads. It was nice but you can only be entertained for so long looking at heads. They had an Indian village set up but there was nothing to do there as well. It was just a few teepees. It was still fun to walk around and enjoy the sights. It is also nice to just take a slow day and just spend an hour or two then go back to the hotel.

Day Eight: Gavin's Point Fish Hatchery and Aquarium

2010-07-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

On day eight we headed over to Gavin's Point fish hatchery and aquarium. I thought that this would be a bit boring and I only chose it because it was the only thing I could find at this particular stop in the trip. I tried to limit my driving to 400 miles max a day and there really wasn't anything else to do within that distance. I was completely wrong though because we loved it! The aquarium was pretty small and didn't have very interesting fish. That was fine with the kids because they still thought it was wonderful. The highlight was the toad that was on it's back dying. Morbid but fascinating.

After the aquarium, we bought some fish pellets and headed over to the fish hatchery. The kids got to feed some rainbow trout. There were so many that it looked like boiling water when they would eat. We even got to tag along with a tour and pet a pallid sturgeon. It is an endangered fish.

The fish hatchery and aquarium were much more fun than I ever imagined. Either that or we are easy to please. Everyone loved getting such a close up look at the fish. It was JR's favorite activity of the entire trip out. He was dying to throw a hook in there and catch a big old trout. To top it all off, Ruthie found a $20 bill on the ground. She returned it to the man doing the tour and after asking around he returned and said nobody claimed the money. So, she got to keep the money. She even agreed to share with her siblings. Too much fun for one day!

Day Seven: Niagara Cave

2010-07-30T12:53:00.001-07:00

On day seven we decided to go to Niagara Cave in Harmony, MN. On our way back to our room after breakfast, though, we saw the pool. We decided we would have to do some swimming and get out a little late. The pool was just too fun.

We did finally get to the cave but I forgot to bring my camera in so I didn't get any pictures of the cave. It was really neat. They have a 60 foot waterfall in the middle of the cave. It makes your stomach hurt to look down from the top. I had to hold on extra tight for fear of loosing Sammy down the waterfall even though he was locked in tight. I'm a little neurotic about things like that.

After the tour of the falls the kids found some more gold panning to do. This time there were also some small shards of gems. Ruth was in heaven again.

While the big ones were panning for gold, the little ones played on the playground.

Even though day seven was a much slower day it was really nice. It was beautiful inside and out. We loved all the fun things we learned and had a great time playing and exploring.

Day Six: Donley's Wild West Town

2010-07-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

There is only one thing to say about day six: FANTASTIC! It was so much fun. We had a great time. It is a small attraction but everything to do was delightful. It was hands down everyone's favorite. Maybe not JR - he is really into fishing right, as evidenced by the hat, and the fish hatchery might have been his favorite. This was definitely his second favorite, though. I have lots of pictures because there was so much to do. I just couldn't help myself with all of the pictures. Sorry!

We first saw a wild west stunt show. I didn't take any pictures since we were just sitting on bleachers but it was fun. The kids especially loved the shoot outs. After that we went to the pony rides. Everyone loved them. It was so much fun.

Sam was a little unsure but I think by the end he loved it!

After the ponies we rode the roller coaster. Sam and I went on the first time and then we let just the big ones since I decided it was child abuse for the poor little guy. He is as good as gold though and never even fussed.

After the roller coaster ride, we headed over to pan for gold(pyrite). The kids loved it. It was their favorite thing all day. They kept wanting to go back again and again. Ruthie was really good at seeing the "gold" and came home with quite the booty.

Look at what I found!

Even Sam got gold crazy!

Next up: archery. The kids all did really well with it. Joe had a hard time but there was a nice young man who was really sweet with him.

Then the kids went on canoe rides. Kinda cheesy but fun.

No wild west town would be complete without a petting zoo. Everyone loved getting to pet all of the gentle animals. Except the geese, they were a little ornery.

Emma LOVES pigs. She as in hog heaven - pun intended.

After the petting zoo we headed to the sling shots.

By this point we were getting really hot and sweaty. The train ride was the perfect answer. It was shaded and as we drove around a nice breeze would get us.

After the train ride we were ready to work up a sweat again. We tried to learn how to lasso. I was a little annoyed because the "helper" wasn't very helpful but the kids had fun anyway.

The next activity was a classic: the carousel. It was actually the fastest one that we had ever been on so it was extra exciting!

I don't know what these little carts are called but they sure were fun! The kids loved racing around the track on them. Even Joe did great on them.

Next we went to the shooting gallery. JR loved getting to shoot a gun. He had pretty good aim too!

After we did all of these things we went back and did most of them again! It was so fun and the kids loved it all. It was such a great day. I am so glad that we found this delightful little place. If we ever do this trip again, it will definitely be on our to do list.

Day Five: Attempting to Rest

2010-07-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

On day five we were going to try and go to Wild West Town, but we were too exhausted. I decided the kids needed a rest day. I was done with fits, fighting, and meltdowns. Everyone took a nap except Emma who is my biggest mess without sleep. I wish I could drug her sometimes! Unfortunately, Emma woke Sammy up because she was bored and wanted to play with him. I could have killed her! He is pretty delightful even without a nap but I felt sorry for his tired little body.

Since naps were ruined, I decided to let the kids swim which is their favorite thing in the world. They loved it as always.

Don't let the picture deceive you. It is the smallest pool ever.

Emma had to bring Ariel since she knew that she was dying to swim.

Sam's favorite spot to play. He would just sit on that top step for hours if I let him.

The kids always play so well together at the pool.

Ruthie showing off for the camera.

So, we didn't get too much rest, but we did have fun. It was great just swimming and playing together. We were all still exhausted when we went to bed but we would just be even more exhausted the next day!

Day Four: Visiting Uncle Adam's Family

2010-07-17T21:08:00.001-07:00

On our fourth day, we visited Brent's brother and his darling little family. He lives in Michigan which is close by but still a good days drive. So, this is our first time visiting them there. They have two little twin girls who are two and a brand new baby who is less than a week old.

All of us together - minus me since I was taking the picture and minus the new little one since she was sleeping and minus Joe since I don't know why?!

JR with Adam and one of the twins. Shhhhh....Don't tell Adam and Jill, but I can't tell them apart to save my life! Adam is currently JR's favorite uncle but he is fickle and that will change once we get to Utah.

Ruth and Joe relaxing in the playroom.

My cute girl!

Even though there are not a lot of pictures, we had a wonderful time with Adam's family! I was so busy enjoying their new baby at first that I totally forgot to take pictures. I love brand new babies! It really is my favorite age. She was beautiful and perfect. Then most of my other pictures did not turn out so well since I am still trying to figure out my new camera. Oh, well, we will just have to visit again sometime soon. I am sure if Adam and Jill are reading this they are cringing.

We sure love their family and it is so nice to see them. We don't get nearly enough time with family being so far away and it is such a treat to get to visit with them. I was so mean - I called Brent after I left just to rub it in. I am a devil! Thanks Adam and Jill for letting us visit!

Day Three: Kirtland, Ohio

2010-07-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back! I have so much to blog about that I don't know how I will ever catch up! Hopefully I can. On our third day, we went to Kirtland, Ohio. It is another LDS church history site. It is just a few houses that date from the time when the early Mormons lived there. This is the place where the church was first organized and many influential early church members joined the church. It is also where the first temple was built. This is incredibly significant because this is where marriages for time and all eternity are performed.

This is all of us in front of the Newel K. Whitney store. He and his wife Anne were some of the important new converts. He was able to serve the early members of the church with his generosity and fairness.

Inside the store. This is the exact spot where Brother Whitney first met the Prophet Joseph Smith. Pretty cool!

We had to finish up the tour early because Joe and Sammy were too wild and out of control. They had a chess board made up of slices of corn cobs for playing pieces and Sam kept pulling them off and trying to eat them. I guess he didn't read the "Do Not Touch" sign! They certainly enjoyed finally getting to be outside and running wild.

JR and Ruth outside the sawmill. It was one of the member's callings at church to build and operate the sawmill. All the other members were asked to work one day out of every ten. I bet they definitely wished they had the calling of ward greeter. Hehehe!

Wild Sam climbing all over the place.

Joe being naughty and trying to get into places that he was not allowed. This was the theme for the day.

The kids in front of the area where they carved out the inside woodwork of the temple. I love how every little detail is made to be beautiful inside the temples!

Outside the sawmill. The flowers were beautiful! I also love in this picture Joe's "loving face". He is so funny!

The kids in front of the little stream. They used to dam up the river and create a basin to baptize people. The prophet Lorenzo Snow was one of the people baptized in the stream.

Emma striking a pose. She likes to pose and then ask me to take a picture of her. It is hard to just get a natural picture of her because she is always "on" for the camera.

Sam hanging with JR. He always has to be a part of the group. I never have to chase him, I just have to tell him "Go get the kids" and he runs after them.

Ruthie was taking pictures of Kirtland as well. I might have to get her a real camera someday instead of her DSi.

Joe throwing a fit. This was also the theme for the day!

Joe throwing another fit. I actually had some grumpy old man tell me at dinner that Joe was spoiled. Yeah, he is crying because I give him whatever he wants and not because I told him he has to eat dinner before he can have dessert. Thanks!

Ruth in front of the Kirtland temple. It was beautiful!

Even though we had some major meltdowns in Kirtland, we had a great time. The tour guide said that it is the most expensive temple ever built. Factoring in all that math junk that I have no clue how to figure out of course. What was amazing, though, was that one of the accounts of a local pastor said that the Saints lived in tents and hovels and often times denied themselves the very things they needed to survive. They sacrificed all their worldly comfort to built this temple! I am humbled by their faith and desire for things of true worth. I cannot imagine how devastating it must have been to be driven out of Kirtland and have to leave behind all that they had worked for. Anne Whitney's account talked about how she had expected to live out her days in Kirtland. I can imagine her heartache.

It was amazing to be where so much church history took place. This was where Joseph Smith was taken from his home and tarred and feathered. And where his infant son died as a result of the exposure to the cold. It is where temple covenants were restored. I love the temple and all the blessings that it has brought into my life! To take my sweet little family there and be in the place where the promise of eternal families was brought back again was incredible. It was even more incredible hearing the stories of faith, persecution, and sacrifice and knowing that if those early members had not been faithful, none of the blessings that I enjoy would exist. What a great day!

We Ran Into A Snag

2010-07-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I am sad to say that I lost my camera. More accurately, it was stolen. We were staying at Fairfield Inn in Rochester NY and it was taken from my room. I have since bought a new camera - a nicer, newer model. I am unable to upload any pictures to my blog since the iPad conversion kit was in my camera bag. So, I will not be able to blog about our fantastic adventures until Brent sends me the other half of the conversion kit. It should get to me by Friday. I am really frustrated and annoyed. I am actually more bugged about the conversion kit than the camera. I was hoping to keep up with the blog and post these fun memories before I forgot everything. Oh, well! I guess it is a lesson learned. And somewhere, there is someone enjoying my camera that they could have bought off of ebay for less than $50. And who said integrity doesn't come cheap?!

Day 2: Niagara Falls

2010-07-10T22:18:00.001-07:00

On our second day we went to Niagara Falls. It was so much better than I ever realized it would be. Seeing it on TV is one thing but to experience it with all five senses is amazing. It was an awesome experience to hear the thunder of the water smashing on the rocks, feel the spray of the mist, and take in the beautiful sight of the falls. As we were walking up to Horseshoe Falls I started to feel like it was raining. The mist was so thick even though we weren't at the edge yet. I was surprised by how far it sprayed.

The pictures are not the best quality because our camera was stolen. Sigh. I loved it and I was really sad because the newer ones don't feel as good in my hand. Unfortunately, I had to get a camera that was a bit of an upgrade to console myself since the nicer one feels better in my hands. Anything to comfort myself, right?! I also was unable to take pictures in a lot of places because the mist was too thick so I only have a few.

This is the kids at the top of Horseshoe falls. Joe is throwing a bit of a fit which was the theme of the day for him.

Emma at the top of Horseshoe Falls. She loves getting her picture taken.

The kids to the side of Horeshoe Falls. They are actually next to Bridal Veil Falls right after we went through Cave of the Winds.

What is Cave of the winds? You might be asking. It is an amazing experience. My girlfriend recommended it to me she said it was way better than Maid of the Mist and I am guessing she is right. You take an elevator down to the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls and then you go out on a wooden deck that takes you right up to the base of the falls. They say that it is like being in a hurricane. I think they are right! The water splashes up over the deck and soaks your feet just like on TV during news coverage of the hurricanes. They give you these cheap sandals so your feet don't get wet. There are huge gusts of wind that spray the water all over you. I almost lost a contact once. It is like being sprayed with a hose - or a power washer. The three older kids loved it, Joe tolerated it, and I think Sam felt abused. He didn't even like the mist so the "hurricane" was not a big hit.

At the bottom of Cave of the Winds. We are all geared up and ready to go! It is hard to tell but Sammy is in a backpack on my back. A sweet couple who just finished up serving as the mission president of the New Jersey mission went through with us and made sure he didn't suffocate in his yellow rain cover. He kept pulling it completely over his face so the water wouldn't get him.

At the top of Bridal Veil Falls. Yup, we were down there being pelted by all that mist you see.

Overall, it was a great day. All of us had fun except Joe who went from meltdown to meltdown. In fact, some old man told me he was spoiled. Um, thanks! He really hated the shoes he had to wear and from that point on was just whining the whole day. I just kept telling myself I knew there would be moments like this.

The falls were beautiful and we were in awe of their power. We love just getting out and enjoying the beauty of our world. I am so grateful we got to to see the falls. If we ever do this trip again, we will definitely go back!

Day One: Joseph Smith's Boyhood Home and the Hill Cumorah Pageant

2010-07-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

On our first day we traveled to Palmyra, New York. This is a very important place in our church's history. For my friends who are not Mormon here is a link about it. http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1828-1-1-1,00.html

In the morning, we went to Joseph Smith's boyhood home. There were actually two homes - the log cabin he grew up in then the house they built later. It was fun to get to see all the history and antiques. They really taught a lot about church history and what life was like for the Smith family back then. It was a wonderful tour but we got rained on half way through. Being the smart mom I am, I brought coats and umbrellas. Unfortunately, it looked fine when we started out so I left them in the car. It was actually miserably hot. It didn't last too long though. It began pouring down on us. We really got drenched. It was still hot enough that we didn't freeze fortunately.

We also went to the Sacred Grove which was behind the home. It was totally raining by this point but we had ran back to the car for our coats by then. In spite of the rotten weather, it was wonderful!

In front of the Smith's log cabin. It was so small! I can't imagine having so many people packed together so tightly. It was wonderful to walk around and see how simply they lived. They were such a close knit family and had so much joy. It made me want to simplify. It was also amazing to go into Joseph Smith' bedroom and see where the angel Moroni spoke with him. It was humbling.

In front of the fields. Living out East and knowing how thick the forest are here, I can't imagine clearing out a field like this! I also love how loving Joe is with Ruth. She is his girl.

Inside the Smith home. This is the fireplace where Joseph Smith hid the golden plates when the mob came into his home. The kids are standing right on the bricks where they were hidden underneath.

The kids are standing in the barn looking out at the cooper workshop. We learned how they worked with the wheat and how the Smiths were master coopers. Listening to how hard work helped the Smith family grow so close has really motivated me to want to help my kids be harder workers!

Sam looked so cute with his hood on!

This was a little stream on the farm. It was a favorite spot for all of the kids.

The kids in the Sacred Grove. It was in the middle of the day but it was so dark and gloomy that my camera wanted to flash. This was a really beautiful, gnarly tree.

Joe back at the stream. He loved it! You can see how rainy it was.

Even though it was so wet and rainy, we all had a wonderful time. The kids especially loved visiting the Sacred Grove and didn't want to leave. I know it is hard to be still for them but I think they did feel the spirit of the place and were drawn to it. There really wasn't much to but just walk around and yet they loved it. I loved it as well. It was beautiful to just walk around and wonder if this is the spot where Joseph Smith received his answer to his prayer. Such a huge responsibility for such a young boy! I know that he saw God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ. My prayers are not so important but I know that God answers them as well. How comforting that is!

In the evening, we went to the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It was so much better than I thought it would be. The production was so good. They told several stories from the Book of Mormon and then how Joseph Smith received the plates. There was fire and earthquakes and waterfalls and all sorts of other fun stuff! All of the kids were enthralled and sat through it so well.

It of course was still raining on us, so we got really wet. It started to get cold and Joe had to use the bathroom. He actually peed in his pants while sitting on my lap already but I didn't want a repeat performance so we left five minutes early. We saw enough to be thoroughly impressed already. It is really a great pageant!

The girls got a picture with two of the performers from the pageant. JR was way too cool to pose with them.

Ruthie had to get another picture with some girls because she thought they were pretty and was so impressed with them. She is such a funny girl that way!

Joe really wanted a picture with the guy who had the fancy hat. It is hard to tell but he also had a big gold ring. Joe was really impressed with his bling.

As you can tell, the first day was wonderful. We had such a great time! I am so thankful that I could take the kids to experience so much of our history and our heritage. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ so much! It has blessed my life more than I can adequately express. I love getting to watch my kids learn and grow and develop their own understanding of these things.

Lake Anna, VA - A Family Favorite!

2010-07-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Annual Fall Hike in Shenandoah

2009-11-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

So, I am going to try and catch up a little! A few weekends ago, we went to Shenandoah National Park. It is one of our favorite fall traditions. If you recall last year did not turn out so well. This year was much better.

We left a little late but we still made it there well before dark. The fall foliage was gorgeous. It is one of the things that I love best about Virginia. It is so amazing to get to be in the middle of it.

Since we were late, we decided to just go to the closest campground we could find. We also had to pee real bad, so we really needed to find the closest. It ended up being the South River Campground. When we were there, we decided we might as well try the hike. We didn't know how far we wanted to go because we knew the storm - the SNOW storm - was moving in. But, we decided to just head down to the South River Falls and see if we could make it in time.

The hike was lovely and it was wonderful being with our family in such a beautiful place. We found lots of delightful things to explore and enjoy. We also made it to the falls! The second highest in Shenandoah. Actually, we made it to the falls overlook, not the base. It was still a little over 2 miles of pretty tough hiking. The kids did great, though and we loved every minute of it.

The weather was really getting threatening when we got to the top. The kids were freezing by the time we got back to the car, so we blasted the heater and headed home - by way of our favorite little shop with the most spectacular cider EVER!!!! It was a beautiful drive but it started snowing pretty hard. Brent was driving, so I didn't have to stress too much. It was still a little nerve wracking in the drivers seat because it was coming down so hard and we could hardly see out the window. Mind you, this is on Skyline Drive which is totally curvy and has wildlife - bears, deer, wild turkeys - all over the place. It was still beautiful in spite of the less than ideal conditions.

We finally made it out of the mountains and to our little shop. Unfortunately, it was closed! I felt really guilty because the apple cider is the only reason Brent even gets excited to go on the trip with me. Seriously! We stopped to mourn our loss and see what time it would open on Monday. I decided I would take the little ones back up and get cider first thing. Fortunately, as I was looking for the hours, I noticed they had some cider and big bags of apples on the ground behind the outdoor counters. So, I grabbed two gallons of cider and a huge bag of apples and left the money in a jar that I placed on the front door. We were so excited, we were almost giddy! I cannot tell you how delicious that cider is!

Well, I was still worried that the shop owners wouldn't get their money, so I went up on Monday anyway. I grabbed my niece and her two little girls and the six of us went up for the day. It was spectacular again but a little cold with the snow still on the ground. The shopkeeper said that they did get our money and she thought we were adorable for leaving the money there. I had to guess that she was used to people just stealing. Sad.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time with our wonderful family. It is a great place to spend the day and to especially get some yummy apple cider.

Five Kernels of Corn

2009-11-02T06:24:00.000-08:00

Legend has it that the Pilgrims placed 5 kernels of corn on their plates to remember their times of trial. It reminded them of the time when they were starving and each person was rationed a mere 5 kernels of corn. It was there to remind them of their struggles and how blessed they truly were. We talked about this yesterday in Relief Society and were asked to think of what our 5 kernels of corn represent.

As some of you know, I really struggle with being a homemaker. I often consider this struggle my great trial in life. I know it sounds ridiculous when you think about all of the real trials in life ~ ~ illness, poverty, death, lack of faith ~ ~ but this is where I struggle. This is where I feel most inadequate and most discouraged. I think I could handle it better if it were simply that I suck at cooking and keeping a clean house, but I also often feel like I am kind of a rotten mom. I yell at my kids way too much. They fight and disobey or ignore me and I flip my lid. I generally don't spank much, but I do yell a lot. I feel like if I don't yell at them they would never listen to me. It is discouraging and makes me feel bad.

So, as I was thinking of what my 5 kernels of corn represent, I thought of my 5 kids. I thought of how deeply I love them and how blessed I am to have the most fantastic babies in the world. Again, I thought of how I need to be so much better with them. I need to show them greater love, have more patience, speak kinder, and have more positive interactions. I know that I have been blessed and I need to enjoy those blessings more. I think that without gratitude, it is almost impossible to enjoy what you have.

I also have to add a sixth kernel here too. I love my sweet husband and am so grateful to get to call him mine. He drives me nuts often but he really is good to me and takes such good care of me. I am thankful for the marriage we have and the beautiful family we have created. I always tell the kids that Heavenly Father only sends the best babies to our family. I say it jokingly but it is true. I am blessed far more than I could ever have hoped for. I find myself indebted to my Father in Heaven and whenever I try to repay that debt, I end up more indebted. I am blessed.

Towanda

2009-10-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I tend to have a little bit of road rage. I no longer flip people off(thanks to almost flipping off Sister Tew in High School - yes, sweet, humble Sister Tew) but I would if I could. I do tend to call them idiots, though, and I also like to smile and wave at them. It really makes them mad when you do that. I always get the finger when I do that. Which pleases me because I know that I really got to them. As you can see, I am a little too aggressive in the car.

Well, last Friday, I had a serious episode of road rage. We were on our way to DC and I was not in a good mood. We had woken up at 4:20 so that we could make it to the White House by 8 am. I was tired and we were running late as always. We came up to traffic that was pretty much stopped. The lane I was in was ending so I moved to the next lane. As I was slowing down, this hag pulled in front of me, cutting me off, and coming so close to hitting me that I don't know how she missed.

I was a little perturbed - well, actually, I was furious! I get ticked off when I am by myself but when I am with my kids, I get enraged! Nobody puts my kids in danger without feeling the wrath of Dani. So, I let the wrath pour out and honked at her. Not once, not twice, but three times! I am sure you can imagine my eyes bugging while I did it. I was so angry.

I am sure you are picturing a sane person who would be contrite and realize that she was in the wrong. You would be wrong. She was nuts. She stopped in the middle of the freeway and flipped me off. She wouldn't go for about a full minute. She was too busy flipping me off to drive apparently. Well, being the blogger that I am, I knew that this was definitely a photo op. Here are the pictures of this lovely lady.

Yes, that is her hand flipping me off. She was like that the whole time she was stopped. After she was done flipping me off, she moved forward and pulled into the lane beside me. Several cars behind us pulled ahead of me and beside her. They all flipped her off and were yelling at her. I am going to assume this did not make her too happy because when I finally pulled up next to her, she was livid. She was again flipping me off. Big surprise! She was also screaming.

Being the peacemaker that I am, I rolled down my window and told her that she is crazy. She was wild with anger. She started cussing at me and screeching. I wish I would have thought to have Brent take a picture of her so that I could post it. She was so out of control. It might be a good thing, though, because she might have attacked us. Well, I was done with this little chat, so I rolled up my window and continued driving forward. She was not done and kept screaming and driving. She almost slammed into the car in front of her. Being the kind person that I am, this was the most satisfying part of my day. Crazy lady!

Anyway, I was frustrated but seeing her almost smash her car made me realize I need to let it go and focus on driving in traffic. I do wish that I had a car like Mad Max. I would love to smash her car to smithereens. I would love to have weapons mounted to the hood of my car. I would never try to kill anyone but I would love to watch that nasty creature flying from the blast of my rocket launcher! I would yell "Towanda!" and shake my fist at her. Yes, this is a secret fantasy of mine - one I have daydreamed about far too often. Oh, well, for now I will just work on anger management!

Dani of the Jungle

2009-09-23T06:36:00.001-07:00

Dani, Dani, Dani of the jungle, strong as she can be....Dani, Dani, Dani of the jungle, watch out for that tree! Crash!!! Yes, that is how I felt running my Xtreme trail half-marathon this last Saturday. But, before I get more into that, I will start at the beginning.

I left for Douthat State Park last Friday where the race was going to be. http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/dou.shtml It is about 4 hours away. My race was at 7 and I wasn't up for driving at 3 am. So, I stayed at a bed and breakfast the night before. It is called the Vine Cottage Inn. It was one of the less expensive B and B's in the area. Mistake! It was pretty much a dive. The bed sucked and people woke me up at 1 am. So, not the best rest in the world. Next time, I will not scrimp when it comes to sleep.

I left before breakfast, so who knows how it would have been. I was so nervous, I could hardly eat my muffin and banana. I have never run a half-marathon before and it has taken me so long get in shape. I knew I would finish, I just didn't know if I would be able to push myself the whole way. I was talking to a girl named Jani who was also running. She said that her goal was to do it in under 4 hours. That is about 20 minutes per mile. I smiled and told her she could do it, but in my mind I was thinking what a wimp. Don't worry, I had ample opportunity to eat my humble pie once the race started.

And start it did. The first few hundred yards were on trails and no big deal. Rocky, yes, but nothing to worry about. We crossed a stream on a log. Fun, but nothing too physically demanding. Then we started to run uphill. Not too bad at first. In fact, we were all getting to know each other while running. One guy had run 41 marathons. He was part of a group called Marathon Maniacs. Two other women had traveled from Ohio for the marathon. All of them were going to do another lap and make it a marathon. There were several people at the front of the pack who were there for the Ultra40 that would do 3 laps. When I mentioned my goal to not walk, one of the Ohio ladies said, "That's a lofty goal." I thought she was being condescending and felt quite annoyed. Who was she to put down my efforts? I might not be a marathoner yet, but I am still working hard!

It turns out, she wasn't being facetious. It really was a lofty goal. Here is a map of the course we ran. Do you see all of those zig zags? Those are affectionately called switchbacks. Affectionately by crazy people! These switch backs are all up hill. As you can see, the switchbacks are less than a mile into the race. So, by a mile I was almost brought to tears. Seriously, I was choking back tears because I did not want the other runners to see me freak out. These switchbacks weren't just hills, they were mountains. Mountains with rocks and tree roots and bushes covering the trails. It was a nightmare. I had to watch every step to make sure that I didn't fall.

After running for almost a mile, I realized that the people walking were going just as fast as I was. I also realized that I could not run another 12 miles at the pace I was going. My body wasn't trained for it. I don't know that it would ever be ready for that! So, I started walking - briskly. You would think that walking the race would have been much easier, but I was breathing harder and my heart rate was higher than it ever gets on my long runs. Just hiking up those never ending switchbacks was killing me.

As you can see, I wasn't exactly going at a lightning pace. I realized as I was walking up the switchbacks that I had forgotten to get a picture of myself, so I took one. It was a little fuzzy because I was moving. I also tried to get some photos of the terrain so people could see how difficult it was. These photos don't do the course justice as far as the difficulty.

I kept trekking on in spite of the craziness. About 3.5-4 miles into the race, we got to run a little downhill. It was a nice change. It was still challenging with the rocks - one of the Ohio ladies fell 3 times - and the bushes practically covering the entire trail. I felt like a bushwacker at times. I needed Brent to check me out for ticks when I got home. BTW - not as sexy as the Brad Paisley song. It involves a lot more shrieking. It is so embarrassing because I have to tell the neighbors it was me so that Brent can save face. Anyway, there was even a huge tree that fell in the middle of the trail that we had to climb over. I kept thinking to myself "is this for real?!"

By the tenth mile I had hit a wall. It was so difficult to keep going. I didn't have the muscle strength to even try to run up the hills and it took all of my strength to force myself to run the rest of the time. It was really hard mentally to force myself to go when all that I wanted to do was just walk as slowly as possible. My body was in a state of inertia, though, so it kept pushing me when I would slow down. I never really got past the wall. Usually I feel a second wind after a mile or so. Not this time. My body was done.

After the 11-mile marker, it seemed like I just kept going and going. I couldn't believe how long it was taking me to run to the 12-mile marker. Again, I was almost brought to tears. How was I supposed to finish the race if I can't even run a mile?!?! Then, I turn the corner and this is what I see.......(Not really my picture. I was too weak to pull out the cameraphone.)

It was so beautiful and peaceful. It helped me remember why I love running so much. Just not at the moment. And the best part --- the 13-mile marker was around the corner as well. I must have missed the 12-mile marker. So, I was only .1 miles away from finishing. I couldn't believe it. I would have peed myself except I was dehydrated and there was nothing left. TMI?? Anyway, I finished the longest .1 miles of my life and finally finished the hardest race I have ever ran. It was so tough in fact, that I no longer doubt that I could run a normal marathon. So, maybe sometime in the future, there will be another amazing running post.

I am still sore and tired. I could hardly walk Sunday. I still hurt a little when I have to sit down. For some reason going down the hills was harder on my muscles than uphill. Go figure?! I won't tell you my time because I am a little embarrassed by how slow I was. I will say that I definitely beat the 20 min/mile mark. Even though my time stunk, I know that I pushed myself harder than I ever have in a race before. I feel kind of silly about this - but I am really proud of myself. As a mom, I don't do a lot for myself. No awards, raises, promotions, or all the ego boosting things that Brent gets. So, for me, this has been a really big deal. I am so thankful that I have such a fantastic husband who has supported and encouraged me through this. He is the best husband ever and I know that I am truly blessed!!!!

Making Muscles Dance

2009-09-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is, the promised blog post. Now I won't have to blog for another month. Ha! So, here is a short anecdote. Brent was trying to impress the kids with his manliness. For those of you who don't know, we have been dieting and exercising. We are both getting healthier. And, even better, Brent is getting really muscly. I know, I love the eye candy! And we're married so I get to touch!!!

Anyway, enough drooling and back to my story - Brent was trying to impress the kids. He told them how strong and manly he is and how he can make his boob muscles dance. Most of the kids were pretty impressed, except Ruth. She looked at him with disdain and said, "So, I can make my butt muscles dance." Aaaawwww, out of the mouth of babes. Thanks for the perspective Ruth!

Exhausted with nothing to show for it

2009-09-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well, ever since Sammy has been born, I have not kept up with my blog! Is it because I am so busy keeping my house clean and catching up on projects? No, my house is a disaster and I still have not fixed the most basic things around my house. I can't get a single thing done and I still have no time for anything. I might have played a little this summer, but each trip was like a major event with 5 kids. And the recovery is amazing. A weekend at the beach would put me back for days!

To make matters worse - our computer broke down. All of my pictures were on the hard drive. Brent fixed it - sort of. He has our hard drive hooked up to one of the other two computers. Both of which he uses for work. So, I just take his scraps. So abused!! Not to worry, I wouldn't have blogged anyway because I am a hot mess.

So, I am going to try and blog again. I need to. So much to catch up on! A lot of it will probably be out of sequence, but this is my journal and I like knowing I will be able to look at this later and remember all of the wonderful, funny, horrid, scary, stupid stuff that goes on at the Kynaston house. So....stay tuned! (Hopefully!)

A funny video

2009-07-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

I found this on Brent's Aunt Karry's facebook page. It is so funny! I can't tell you how many Elders in the MTC thought their girls would wait for them. Sound familiar Brent? Hehehehe. She did wait a year and a half, though. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!

Super Daddy or SUPERMAN!!!!

2009-07-19T18:47:00.001-07:00

We just finished our third SuperMan movie tonight. A sweet old deaf lady at church lent them to Brent for being so kind to her. He is fantastic! Anyway, the kids have been way into the movies. In fact, it looks like we might have a superman and superprincess for Halloween. They love all things super right now. So, Daddy decided to help the kids with their super skills.

Super Joe

Super princesses need sound effects

Ruthie perfecting the super flying form

Why fly when you can dunk?

Super Sleepy!

Whoaaaa! He must be Superman if he can do this!

The Perfect Day With a Rotten Ending

2009-07-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a fantastic day yesterday! We went to Buckroe Beach in Hampton VA. It is on the Chesapeake Bay. It is a lovely little beach. It doesn't really have waves because it is a bay which is great for the kids. You can go out and out and it never gets much deeper than your waist. At least, I was too chicken to go out any farther to find out.

The minute we got there, Joe started chasing the sea gulls. He loved it, except they were a little intimidating when they got aggressive. JR helped out by throwing food for them and bringing them closer.

Ruthie also helped entertain Joe by gathering shells for his little wheel barrow.

Sammy loved the sand. To play in.

And Eat!!!

Good stuff! Three guesses what I found in his diaper today?!

Emma loved Sammy.

And swimming too! She is my little fish.

The kids hunted crabs. Unfortunately we only found dead ones.

And they also played in the sand.

And floated in the water.

And collect shells.

And just simply played together sweetly.

In fact, try as we might, we couldn't make a grumpy face at all without a little smile. That is until.................

Emma got stung by a jellyfish. It was very sad. It led to an abrupt, less than enjoyable end to a fantastic day. Fortunately, we had such an incredibly fun time before that, that we will still have to do it again. This time, we will bring the vinegar with.

P.S. Peeing on a jellyfish sting does not help. Eeeewwww.

Two Blessings and a Baptism

2009-07-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is all grown up! Well, not completely, she just turned eight. (Ruth birthday blog coming sometime before next birthday!) So, we got to see her get baptized. Brent's mother, Candace, and her husband, Jim, were able to come out for it. We had to wait a few months but it was well worth the wait.

Since we had family come out, we decided to bless Sammy as well. I called and asked Amanda, my niece, if she wanted to bless her daughter Zoe at the same time. Sam and Zoe are only two days apart. So typical of Mormon families to have aunts and nieces having babies at the same time. We just can't stop popping those babies out! In fact – a friend of mine recently asked if my uterus felt like a clown car. Hehehehe. Sometimes!

So, Ruth got to be baptized on the same day that Sammy and Zoe were blessed. I was a little worried that it would take away her special day to be the center of attention. I always like being the center of attention, so I like to make sure my kids get to be sometimes too. I worry about each kid feeling loved and important so I really work hard for that. Fortunately, she said having her baptism along with the blessings was really special and she felt like it was a real treat. She said it felt like more of a “celebrating day”. I agree. There were so many wonderful things to celebrate.

Ruthie was precious for her baptism. Sweet and excited. We bought a special dress for the occasion – so Ruthie! She also had me do her hair special. It has a heart on top. She loved having her daddy baptize her. She is a daddy's girl.

The baby blessings were incredible as well. Such strong, beautiful babies. I know it is corny but I often think of Saturday's Warrior when I see these precious babies. They have so much more to contend against and yet they are so strong to fight the evil of the world. I often feel overwhelmed and at my whit's end with my strong willed babies, but they have to have such strong spirits to stand up to what the world will throw at them. Brent was gentle and humble with them. I am so grateful for his strength and leadership. He is an honorable priesthood holder and he blesses our lives because of it.

It was a wonderful, busy day. We are so blessed with our family and our faith.

I Raced For The Cure.....

2009-06-14T17:49:00.001-07:00

and I made an impact. That was the theme for this year. Impact. Make one. It was right on the back of my nifty T-shirt they gave me! It is silly, but I really did feel like I made a difference and helped in some small way. It is exciting to be able to do that. It made the accomplishment of running a 5K -yes, 3.2 miles, even more exciting.

The experience of participating in something so big was really amazing. There were tens of thousands of people gathered together in the heart of DC. You got a T-shirt that is white or pink. Pink for survivors and white for the rest of us. There were people of all ages and types wearing pink shirts. Old and young, fat and skinny, male and female. It literally was anyone and everyone you could imagine. One woman wearing a pink shirt was pushing a stroller with a baby who couldn't have been more than a month old. Being at that stage of life it really hit me. It reminds me again that no one is too young.

On the backs of the T-shirts, people wore pink papers that said "In memory of" or "In celebration of." There were so many names. Some were in memory of my wife or grandma or husband or sister or best friend. It reminded me again of how sacred life is and what a blessing it is. It is something everyone regardless of their views and beliefs can agree upon. In a world so divided it was something we all were united in.

All this was in the shadows of the beautiful buildings of our capitol. It is humbling to run past the monuments to our great nation and all that it represents. I felt so grateful to be an American where our most basic needs and rights are met and we can extend beyond ourselves and serve others. It was really wonderful. I can't explain how great it was to be a part of something so good. I realized how much power a group of people united in something good have. It made me more resolved to stand up for goodness and fight for what I believe in.

On a Dani-centric note, I did really well. I have only been running for a little over a month. I did it in 37:15. Not so spectacular compared to my high school times, but great considering I started out running on the border of obesity and could barely run much faster than walking. I broke the 12-minute-mile mark. I even had to slow down often to get around people. In fact, it got so crowded at the finish line. I took a picture of it since I wasn't moving that fast anyway! Over all it was wonderful and I loved every minute of it. I want to do it again next year. So, hopefully, I will post this again.

Me at the butt crack of dawn

At the start of the race.

That pink sign ahead is the finish line.

Immediately after the race. This Photo does not do justice to how red my face was!!!!

With the Capitol Building in the background.

Hotness

2009-05-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

I know that I have a disproportionate number of blogs about Emma but she is at a funny age. So, here is another one that cracks me up. I was giving Emma a bath the other day and she relayed this story to me.

"Mom, Ruthie told Chris that I love him. It was so silly. So when I left I said to him 'Goodbye Chris'." The "Goodbye Chris" was said in a very flirty voice. This is the flirty face she used to say goodbye.

"Then, Chris looked at me and waved goodbye too." This was how she thought he waved goodbye and how he actually waved goodbye.

Then she said, "I guess he thinks I'm hot too!"

A Daddy's Joy

2009-04-22T20:51:00.001-07:00

A Conversation With Joe

2009-04-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

I was watching TV and Joe brought me a candy to open. I asked him if it was his. "No." Then I told him that it was stealing and JR - who he stole from - was going to be sad. No reaction. "Joe are you a stealer?" "Yup!"

Well, at least he is honest about it!

The True Reason We Celebrate Easter

2009-04-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

The Tizzabee Song

2009-04-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

On Monday while driving to ballet with Emma, she asked if I knew the Tizzabee song because it was her favorite. I wasn't sure what she meant. I guessed it was just some silly song from school. I asked her what song that is and she said (exasperated of course to have to deal with such a simpleton) "It is the My Country Tizzabee song, Mom!" Oh, of course! I then began to sing it and her face lit up with awe. She was incredulous that I knew the song and asked if Mrs. Pellegreen taught me the song too when I was in school. I told her no, and that Mrs. Pellegreen would have been too young to be a teacher so long ago. "Yeah, of course, because she is a teenager." Apparently Mrs. Pellegreen is young. As we drove up to the ballet school, Emma had one gem to share with me. "Hmmmm...Mom, I wonder what a tizzabee is."

Joe's Nemesis

2009-02-23T05:53:00.001-08:00

Do any of you watch the Simpsons? If you do, you know who baby Gerald is. He is Maggie's nemesis. Well, Joe has his own baby Gerald. His name is Asher and they fight like cats and dogs. I babysit Asher every now and then for my girlfriend Jessica. When he first came over, he was pretty sad the whole time, so I held him. Joe did not like sharing his mommy.

It all started as mild resentment and it has exploded into all-out war! I babysat Asher last Thursday and it was WWIII. They fought over everything. And it wasn't just slaps and pushing, it was a drag out brawl. Scratching, hair pulling, punching. It was crazy. They both got each other good. I couldn't keep my eye off of them for even a second.

The weird part is, they get along just fine at nursery. I guess it must be some sort of territorial thing. Maybe next time I will just let Joe pee all over the place and mark his territory good!

Boulders and Pebbles

2009-02-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

In church on Sunday, the sacrament meeting topic was adversity. I had several thoughts go through my mind as I struggled to listen. This is not an easy thing since my kids are wild animals. Anyway, as they spoke I thought of one of my favorite Scriptures. It is 2 Nephi 2:25, in the Book of Mormon. It says that "men are, that they might have joy." For years, I thought that it meant that our purpose on earth was to be happy. Then a while ago I read it in context with the whole chapter and I realized that our purpose was to have opposition in all things. That in order to have joy, we must have misery. It really struck me that our sufferings are a show of love, as much as our blessings. They both are there to help us feel joy more fully and more importantly, to learn and become more like our Father in Heaven.

Bro. Chong, the last speaker, had a great object lesson to go with the topic. He said that when you hold a pebble right up in front of your eye, it looks like a boulder. As you pull it back, it comes into perspective and you can see it for the small pebble it is. I realized that so many of my trials in life have been like that. As I am going through the trials, they seem overwhelming and insurmountable. Then, looking back, after they are over, they seem like they were simply another bump in life. Usually a bump to help me prepare for the next bump. Unfortunately, like the pebble, it takes distance to usually get the whole perspective. Next time I am in a rough spot, I am going to try and remember this. I will keep telling myself, this is just a pebble! Maybe when it is all said and done, I will make a mosaic.

Happy Day!

2009-01-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

Well, today was a fun day. The kids went to school. They have been home all week because of teacher workdays (days they plan to use for make-up days if there is a snow day) and snow days. They even got to go to school an hour late, so we got to sleep in. What a treat! They left fighting and not listening to me, just like they have been all week. I was delighted to shut the door on them and know that I would not be seeing them until 4pm! Pure heaven!!!! I love them, but we really need a break from each other after a while.

I read a funny article about some hackers who changed a road sign in Texas this morning. Instead of warning about lane changes or traffic - it warned of zombies ahead. I totally cracked up. Brent is a total zombie freak. He loves them. All things zombie! I bought him a book for his B-day called "The Zombie Survival Guide." He not only read it, he also read it to his boyscouts at day camp. I am surprised I never got any calls from moms over that one! I could just picture Brent driving to work, seeing that sign, and peeing himself with pure terror. Not really - but maybe someone did! Brent actually just informed me he would pee with excitement, so still funny to me!

And then tonight, I was watching American Idol and found who I will be voting for. His name is Nick Mitchell, aka Norman Gentle. I will try and post a photo as soon as I find one. He was so funny, I laughed out loud. It was hysterical. A total nut job! I am loving it. Thank goodness for the little things that amuse me and make me happy and especially simple days like today!

All the gory details!

2009-01-22T09:34:00.000-08:00

Well I love to talk, especially about myself, so I decided to blog about our latest adventure/nightmare. Also, I want the blog to be a sort of journal since I don't really keep one. Sorry it is so long, but I didn't know where to stop. Brent hates long blogs and insisted that I make it more interesting, so I am adding some fun pictures as well. They do not have anything really to do with the story but they are great! So, here is what transpired about three weeks ago.

Two Sundays ago(the 11th) Sammy was sounding a little congested. I figured it was just a cold but he is so tiny that I was worried. I finally couldn't handle it anymore and took him into the doctor on Tuesday. Yes, it was a cold and yes, he is tiny but no worries. Just keep on the lookout for worsening symptoms. Did I see any, no. Am I totally clueless, yes. I really can't tell the difference between congestion from a cold and what is apparently considered respiratory distress. Good thing you don't have to pass a test to have kid. My cleaning skills alone would fail me.

Fortunately, Sammy had his two week appointment on Thursday. The doctor - actually the nurse practitioner- listened to his breathing and said it didn't sound so great anymore. She tested the oxygen levels in his blood and it was 92 - which is bad. Normal is 100 or close to that. So, she ordered a breathing treatment. After the breathing treatment, he was still having a hard time breathing. He was having retractions which is his stomach helping him breath. It looks like there is a see-saw in his little tummy. This is a really bad sign. The NP asked if I had relatives close by who could watch Joe since I would need to take Sammy to the hospital.

So, here I am, two weeks postpartum, being told to take my sweet, tiny baby to the ER. Is it the hormones, hysteria, or just the normal maternal reaction that caused me to start sobbing out of control? I do not know. I called Brent since I didn't want to call any girlfriends who wouldn't be able to understand me through all of my crying anyway. After three minutes of fear and confusion, he finally understood that I had not been in an accident but that I needed to take Sammy to the ER. He got a hold of my girlfriend Leslie - who has a newborn as well- and she agreed to come get Joe even though her hands are already full. Poor little guy was really scared. I am thankful to the NP for noticing because I was oblivious. She was really sweet to comfort him while I was bawling.

While we were waiting for Leslie, Sammy's Oxygen levels dropped to the low 80's. Even though my doc's office is next to the hospital, they decided to call an ambulance. This scared me to death! I hate crying - it makes me feel out of control - so I am crying one minute and able to control it the next, only to start crying again the next minute! I probably looked like a mad woman. The NP started to console me with "He is going to be..." but just stopped short of saying "OK". I was terrified. Was he too sick that she couldn't even say that he was going to be OK?

Leslie got there about the same time as the ambulance did. So I sent her off with Joe - who was being so good, while I got in the ambulance with Sam. They started him on oxygen and took us on the two minute drive to the ER. Seriously, it is that short of a drive. Just the fact that he had to take the ambulance for such a short drive made me neurotic.

At the hospital, they told me that Sammy was going to need to go to the Pediatric ICU (PICU) at MCV in Richmond. I was hoping to have him stay at the NICU at our hospital but they don't allow you to after you are discharged. I was stressed and worried about how I was going to be able to get down to see my baby everyday and still breastfeed and still get enough sleep to not crash during the hour drive and still take care of our four other kids. It turns out that going to Richmond was a blessing in disguise.

At the ER, they started working on him. They gave him several breathing treatments and hooked him up to an iv. It is so awful to watch them poke and prod your little guy. He hated it but was still good as gold. He would cry when they hurt him and then quickly calm down. He is such a sweet little guy!

Fortunately, Brent finally got to the hospital. He had to take the train down from DC, so it took him a while. Just having someone to worry with was so comforting. He is so strong and good, I always feel like he will take care of us and protect us. Brent asked me to stand beside him while he gave Sammy a father's blessing. He said he wanted me to support him with my faith. I love how deeply he values me. I love him even more because of it. Sammy was blessed he would heal and his body would overcome it's illness.

Soon after Brent arrived, the transport team from Richmond arrived. Besides the driver and two EMTs, there was a pediatric nurse and respiratory therapist. They quickly went to work on Sam. They stuck a tube down his nose that sucked up all of the gunk that was keeping him from breathing. He hated this. It took them quite a while and I am sure that it was not comfortable. They finally finished and let me nurse him. Poor little thing was so tired that he could hardly nurse and went right to sleep.

The ER visit was probably the worst part of the experience. We then drove down to Richmond and were admitted into the PICU. Sammy was having a hard time breathing for the first couple of hours but got better quickly. I was still terrified but whenever I would start to panic, I would remember what Brent said during the blessing and calm down. How grateful I am for a husband who honors his priesthood and is able to bless our family with it!

By Friday morning Sam was transfered from the PICU to the Pediatric Acute Care Unit. We were really fortunate because we got a private room the whole time we were at MCV. Since he had RSV and it is contagious, they didn't want to put him with other kids. It was nice because I could stay with him the whole time. If we had stayed at our hospital, there is no place for parents to sleep in the NICU. So, even though it was far away, the PICU was a blessing in disguise.

I loved getting to stay close to Sammy and nurse him but it was exhausting. They didn't have a bed for me, just a recliner that doesn't really recline all that much. They gave me some pillows but no blankets. I probably should have asked, but I was too tired to think straight. The worst part was the alarms. The pulsox monitor that kept tabs of his oxygen levels didn't fit his tiny feet so well, so every time he moved, it lost it's signal. So, every 15-30 minutes, the machine would sound an alarm. Very loud and very annoying. I don't think I slept more than an hour the whole time I was there. I was so tired, I was walking into walls and could hardly talk. My ears were ringing from the alarms for days.

They kept him on oxygen until Saturday morning. It took a little longer to wean him off than they had anticipated, but he was good to go by the afternoon. They finally released him Saturday evening. It was so good to get him home and safe. We felt so blessed that this perfect little baby was back with us safe again. It was a terrifying experience, but looking back it seems less horrific than it felt at the time.

The best part about being home is that we get to just spend our time enjoying him again. The whole time at the hospital, I was watching monitors and worrying about his breathing. I didn't just look at Sammy and appreciate how beautiful he is. I get to enjoy his sweet face and his soft cry. Yes - I love new baby cries! They are my favorite! I love everything about him and we are so blessed that Heavenly Father sent such a wonderful little guy to our family. We just wouldn't be whole without him!

P.S. Brent says that he really appreciates me even more after having to be a single dad for almost three days. He got a little taste of what it is like for me when he is on trips. Needless to say, we are both still trying to recuperate.

Tagging the Walls with Chuke!

2009-01-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

Quick update - Sammy is finally home but somehow everyone became ill (except for me). It's 11:17AM and I've been scrubbing chuke off the walls and carpet since 7:30AM!! Are there any other fathers out there with empathy?? It's a rare occasion that Dani is sick when our kids are sick - I've failed to realize just how much she really does for our little sick ones! I think we need to hire a team of home-assistance experts to lift me in my weakness!!! No, I won't be posting any picture with this entry!

You can do it Sammy!

2009-01-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

The kids and I just got back from visiting Sammy and Dani in the hospital. Dani is holding out and Sammy's condition has improved since yesterday. They were unable to wean him of oxygen today so for the time being he'll stay under the care of the Acute Intensive Care Unit at the hospital in Richmond, VA. The kids enjoyed spending some time with their mommy and baby brother. Pictures attached.

We appreciate your support and prayers.

Brent

A quick update

2009-01-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of their prayers and let you all know that Sammy and I are doing great! He was fully weaned off of the oxygen yesterday and his breathing has been completely normal. We have a blood type incompatibility, O+ and A+, so they were really concerned about jaundice. I guess with the incompatibility when it gets bad it gets really bad really quick. They tested Sammy every couple of hours and he never got into the danger zone. His feet are pretty beaten up, though. They told me this morning that he could come home with us. The kids were beside themselves. They have been praying for him every chance they get. They all love him so much. So, we are home. He is sweet and beautiful and healthy. I am doing wonderfully. I guess quick labors are nicer to your body. Certainly better than C-sections! We are now just home enjoying out time as a family and wondering how we ever felt whole before Sammy came into our home!

Best New Year's Kiss EVER!!!!

2009-01-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Best New Year's Kiss EVER!!!!

Well, I got a delightful gift this New Years. I got my New Year's kiss from the sweetest little guy. Samuel Moroni Kynaston decided to make his grand appearance on New Years day at 2:32 pm - no not the first baby of the year, but that is just fine with me! I got a little more sleep that night. His delivery was pretty quick, I only had about 3 hours of labor. It was super quick. Biggest understatement ever! I was thinking that an epidural would be nice but they didn't even get time to do any lab work before the baby came. Good thing we didn't need a C-section this time!

In fact, things went so quick that little Sammy (6lbs.9oz. 20.5 in.) didn't get all of the fluid squished out of his lungs. He also had the cord tightly wrapped around his neck twice. As a result, he has had some real problems with his breathing. He was so sad when he first came out. He was limp and really struggling to breath. I could hardly hear him cry, it was so soft. They let me hold him for about 1 minute, but then they whisked him off to the NICU.

They have been giving him oxygen with saline for the last day. They are slowly weaning him off of the oxygen. I also was unable to feed him for the first day. The doctors said that with his breathing problems he is at a greater risk of aspirating the milk. Fortunately this morning he was doing well enough to nurse. He did beautifully. He latched on perfectly and pigged out. I love breastfeeding, so it was a real treat for me! We are hoping to get him out of the NICU in time to take him home with me tomorrow when I am discharged. Keep our sweet boy in your prayers.

The kids will be visiting today. Some wonderful friends of ours are taking care of them. They are all having a ball playing with friends. I am sure Emma is beside herself to see the baby. She was doing an excited little dance when we left for the hospital. It will be nice to introduce them to their newest sibling!

Sammy is a sweet, beautiful baby. He hardly ever cries. Whenever I pick him up, he completely calms down and relaxes. He knows who I am and how much I love him! He is so amazing. We are so blessed and feel humbled that once again our loving Father in Heaven has sent us the best baby in the world!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-31T10:12:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of Christmas is Christmas Eve. I know that it is a dorky tradition but I love to go caroling with our antlers on. It just wouldn't be Christmas Eve without it. Our family does a little nativity as well. I love to see my children dressed up so cutely and enjoying the story of Christ's birth.

This year, Brent invited the Elders to come caroling with us. I found out about it 2 hours before they came. Crazy! Elder Bunker and Elder Bueno were wonderful to have with us, though. I love the examples these young men bring into our home. It is a blessing to be able to have them visit us as often as they do.

I didn't do much for dinner because I was craving Chinese food. Yummy! We all stuffed ourselves, though, so I don't think anyone minded. I am sure in spite of all the sweet and sour chicken, Elder Bueno was still missing his mother's homemade tamales a little. Me too! Hehehe.

We went caroling to some of our good friends out here in VA as well as some widows in the ward. It was wonderful. I know that I am biased but I just love to think of all the joy that my beautiful children bring with their sweet voices. Sabine took some pictures of us caroling and I will post them when I get them from her. We were quite spectacular looking, I am sure.

After caroling we went home and did our nativity. I had the Elders help out. Hehehe. I am not sure if they were too excited but they were great sports. It was dark and the pictures didn't turn out so great. In spite of my rotten pictures, it was beautiful and we all felt the spirit of Christ in our home. We bore our testimonies and took the time to be grateful that "God so loved the world,that he gave his only begotten Son." What a blessing it is to be able to take a moment and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

After our nativity, the Elders went home. We opened the gifts from grandparents - the ones Joe had not opened yet. Yes, both of them. He is such a wild man! The kids also exchanged their gifts to each other. They each bought perfect gifts for one another. They opened their Christmas pajamas and then headed to bed. Brent and I took a moment to sit and enjoy the wonderful feelings that were in our home. How grateful I am for a man that I can share those beautiful moments with and who loves the Lord and the blessing He gives us as much as I do. It was a magical evening as we celebrated our Savior's birth!

We got the tree decorated just in the nick of time!

2008-12-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been really behind with everything. Like posting blogs and getting the house decorated. We finally did get the tree decorated 3 days before Christmas. I caved in and bought a fake tree because I did not feel like doing the lights. I am so big and lazy right now, it is pathetic. I am afraid that I didn't do a lot of fun things for the kids because I was too tired. We enjoyed what we did do, though, and still felt the Christmas spirit. We had a great time decorating the tree and loved the time together as a family. Except when Joe sneaked off to get himself a cookie! He is really into everything lately. Here are some fun pictures that I wanted to share. Enjoy!

Puppy Love

2008-12-21T19:29:00.001-08:00

Before the puppy came there was generally only a single target of our daughters' affection.

Yes this doggie likes to bite fingers, toes and Fujimatsu Shitake all over our carpets. But how could you not love this puppy???

I love to see the temple....

2008-12-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

I love going to the temple. It is such a blessing in our lives. I love the childrens song "I Love To See The Temple." I feel like singing it every time we drive to the temple. In fact, that song is what helped Brent and I stay sane as we drove to the temple on our wedding day. Yes, the drive from the county offices where we had to get a new marriage license because ours was lost. I can truly say that I was late to my own wedding! But we sang that song together and felt the peace of the Spirit and knew that we were doing the right thing.

It is amazing what Satan does to keep us from going - like stealing our marriage licenses. We had a ward temple trip on Thursday. For those of you out of state - we had a huge storm with lots of flooding. It was a mess. Brent was in Baltimore and I had to drive up to Maryland to pick him up at the train station. It was a nightmare. After about 15 minutes of driving, I almost turned around and went home. I decided to keep on going, though since this would be our last chance before the baby comes. After almost 3 hours and a few scary moments, we made it.

We got to the last session with a minute to spare. There were two other people in the session, an old man and a young woman. So, they asked us to be the witness couple. I was really worn out from shopping all day but I felt blessed to be asked. It was a unique experience doing it with such a physical burden - the baby. I felt like I was really sacrificing something by doing that session. I loved the feeling of giving so much of myself. I usually feel like the temple is just for me and I do it selfishly because I need that small moment of peace in my life. I know it is a service, but it usually does not feel like one. So, this time I really felt like I was giving service. I know it sounds silly but it was a huge blessing.

Brent and I left with such a feeling of renewed peace. We have both been tired and cranky lately. It helps to get away from it all and remember that we are sent here to be happy and find joy in our lives.

And, the icing on the cake - the Christmas lights were up. It was beautiful. We are so blessed to have a temple we can regularly attend - even if it sometimes takes 3 hours to get there. Oh, how I love to see the temple!

I am EXHAUSTED!!!!!

2008-12-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, things have been super busy lately! I have been busy trying to finish up Christmas shopping and new baby prep at the same time. I am afraid that the baby is getting the short end of the stick with this. I am hoping to finish the cleaning/prep this week. It is rough because I am so tired that I have no energy or desire to get off my butt. I still need to finish decorating the house, too! I feel so guilty not doing this for the kids. The littlest decorations really get them so excited.

Last week I spent almost the whole day Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday shopping. My ankles couldn't even be considered cankles! They were like huge softballs they swelled up so huge. It was gross. My feet would jiggle like jell-o. I would start out shopping perfectly comfortable and end up dying because my swollen feet were bursting out of my shoes. Ah, the joys of pregnancy! I think I over did it because I was weak and shaky all day Saturday and Sunday. BUT - the good news, I have everything for everyone! Yeah!!!

So, now I will begin to set up the cradle and lock the car seat into the car. I still need to go through Joe's old clothes and see what will work and wash them. Lots to do still. We are excited to see our little guy and kiss his tiny hands and feet. I cannot wait to wake up and not feel like puking! What a joy. Hopefully, he will wait until after Christmas!

At Least I Am Not The Turkey

2008-11-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Ordinary, comforting, and more than a little predictable

You're the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Better Late Than Never

2008-11-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

I know that this is a few days late, but I just had to share a few thoughts on this subject. I spent Veteran's Day listening to short videos about veterans from different wars. http://www.digiclub.org/sofs/ If you click on "The Stories" to the left, you get a good sample from all the wars. Anyway, it made me so grateful and appreciative of the men and women and families who sacrifice so much for our nation. I truly believe that we are the freest nation on earth and that freedom has been bought with the blood of valiant men and women.

I also wanted to share an article from my genealogy book that mom prepared for us all. It is about our ancestor, Martin True. It is a great tribute to a veteran and I am sure the words written could be written of many if not most veterans. It was published in the Tennessee Democrat on March 27, 1845.

Another Revolutionary Soldier Gone!
Died in this county, on the 14th inst., Martin True, aged 84 years. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and served faithfully and gallantly through that arduous struggle in the 2nd Regiment in the Virginia line under Capt. James Porter. He was one of the few who remain of that noble band that endured all - risked all for freedom and law. He lived to see his country prosperous in all that constitutes the the greatness of a nation - the pride of its own citizens and the admiration of the world. Throught the war of the Revolution, every pulsation of his heart struck true to the minutest duty, to which he had sworn fidelity to his country - up to the hour of his death, he never swerved from his constancy to the principles of virtue. Though no gorgeous monument may mark the spot that contains the ashes of those who have thus served and honored their country, yet they have an immortality in the grateful recollections of their countrymen.

I feel so blessed that I live in such a great nation. I am grateful for those who have served this nation, most without any honor or recognition. They were simply following their conscience and doing what they believed was right. What a legacy of goodness and freedom they have left for us.

Our Spooktacular Halloween

2008-11-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a very busy, very fun Halloween. Everything seems to be busy for us lately. Or maybe it is just that I have slowed down so everything else seems to be at a faster speed for me. It comes with the waddling. It was wonderful irregardless.

We started the night off with pumpkin carving. We were going to do it Thursday evening but I was busy helping Ruth finish her seed project and Brent was cramming in his last minute home teaching. 100%- way to go Babe! I found a great pumpkin design online of a pumpkin puking and the kids all loved it. So, we did simple faces and kept all the pumpkin guts for the effects. The kids loved it. JR loves digging in the guts and really enjoyed it. He was mentoring Joe in the finer points of gutting pumpkins. I had the bumpy pumpkin and went ahead and carved a little more scary face. All in all, they looked great!

After that we got ready for Halloween. JR's zombie outfit still fit him and he loves it, so we did it again. We had some great tattoos that we used for trunk-or-treating before but they were hard to get off, so we just went with what Brent calls the "Bloodening". JR and Brent are so much alike it is scary sometimes! Joe got a JR hand-me-down. It was a triceratops. He is really into dinosaurs so it worked out well. I must say that it is one of the better outfits that I have made as well, so it was fun to use it again. Emma decided to be a witch in honor of her favorite song. It is the video I posted. Brent and Emma sing it all the time. Very, very spooooooky. Ruth saw a picture of a glamorous starlet in a magazine and wanted to be that. The costume was expensive and looked cheap, so I went for it and decided to make a costume for her. It turned out well and she was beautiful. All of her girlfriends were in awe of how beautiful she looked, so I think we did well.

Brent took the kids trick-or-treating while I stayed home. My ankles have really been swelling up lately, and I wasn't much up for it. They all had a great time. Brent said that Joe was especially fun this year. He loved getting to dig in people's bowls and get big handfuls of candy. It sounds like Brent was a little more permissive than I am because Joe really scored on the loot. He also really enjoyed the houses with dogs. Every time he saw a dog, he totally forgot about the candy. He's a wild man! All the other kids had a great time. Brent wore them out in an hour. By the end, JR wouldn't even go to the doors anymore he was so tired. They were all exhausted when they got home. Nobody complained about going to bed. What a great holiday!

Ruthie's Seed Project

2008-11-02T17:03:00.001-08:00

I just had to blog about Ruth's seed project because she was so excited about it. We have been collecting different types of seeds for weeks. I procrastinated until the end, though and we didn't put the project together until Thursday night - the night before it was due! I need to work on that since I do not need to be teaching Ruthie to wait until the last minute to finish projects.

Anyway, We laminated the seeds together and Ruth printed out all the names of the seeds herself on the computer. Spell check was a nice little help. She picked out all of the pictures herself. The part she was most excited about was cutting out the names and pictures with scalloped scissors. She just went on and on about how all of her classmates were going to be so amazed and she was sure that they were all going to ask her how she did it. She is a funny girl. She could hardly wait to show everyone how fancy it was.

I asked her if she would like me to take the project to school so that she didn't have to take it on the bus and she wouldn't have any of it! She explained how she was going to hold it in front of her on the bus and if it didn't fit she would have the bus driver hold it. Apparently, she has been planning this for a while. She was quite proud to be taking it on the bus. Brent did walk down to the bus stop with her to make sure she got there OK. It all worked out for the best though, because she got an E+ on her project! Woohoo! Way to go Ruth!

Our Busy, Crazy Weekend

2008-10-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we had quite the weekend! Friday night we went to our Ward's trunk or treat. It was fun. I unfortunately did not finish Ruthie's costume yet, so I had to buy her one at Target. They are just as expensive as if I had made it - just not as nice of quality. Oh, well! Hopefully, the real one will be done by Halloween. The kids had a great time. Our ward is pretty small but we love it! We were pretty busy so we didn't get many pictures. There will definitely be more on Halloween.

Then on Saturday, we decided to go up to Shenandoah with the kids. It is the perfect time to go. This Saturday will be awesome as well. We had a primary activity and Brent had some meetings in the morning, but we finally got out around one. The park was beautiful and we got to enjoy some leaves. The kids had leaf fights and jumped into piles that they made. They also got to climb some trees. It was a beautiful, crisp, sunny day. Just perfect.

We decided to take a hike down to Dark Hollow Falls. It is about 1.4 miles round trip, so we figured it wouldn't be too hard. We started out with Joe in our all-terrain stroller and that worked for about 10 seconds. He insisted on walking! So, I told Brent, "Should we make him hold one of our hands?" It was slightly steep in the beginning. Brent jokingly said "Nah. He'll fall down a few times and then he'll hold our hands." We both were laughing as Joe immediately fell onto the path. It was covered with leaves and would have been the perfect spot to fall except for the one jagged rock! He split his forehead open to the bone. Brent felt horrible that he knew that Joe would fall and didn't hold his hand. I felt so bad for him because he really felt guilty. It is so typical of childhood, though.

So, we took Joe to the ranger's station and they got it cleaned up a bit. They told us he would need to go get stitches. We figured as much anyway. The bleeding had stopped so we decided to go all the way home so that only one of us would have to go. Brent volunteered since I am getting big and it is hard to hold a sad little guy all night. I am glad that he did because it sounds like it was awful. Joe cried and cried the whole time. Brent said that he just kept saying "Help me, Mama, help me!" Poor little guy. Brent was really heartbroken over it. He finally got a feel for what I have gone through with Ruth and Emma. I also got to experience what it is like to sit at home and worry. Both stink. Brent finally got home at midnight. Glad that we all didn't have to sit in the ER all night. All is well now.

Joe will get his stitches out tomorrow. Emma is still pissed that she didn't get to do her hike. All the kids are disappointed that we didn't get fresh apple cider. We will have to try again soon. If we dare!

Going to the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, this is what I wanted to blog about when I got distracted with the background. On Columbus Day, we went to a local farm to pick pumpkins. There are actually several really amazing ones here. I chose one of the smaller ones - Snead's Farm. It sounds like a Dr. Seuss book. It is really nice, though and not too crowded. We got to go in a kiddie corn maze, feed the chickens, llamas, horses, cows, and goats, ride the rope swings, take a hay ride, and pick out great big pumpkins. It was so much fun.

Our friends, the Shields family came with us. It was great to be able to do stuff with friends even though it felt like there wasn't much socializing since we were chasing kids the whole time. Joe even crawled under the fence and into the llama pen. Brent caught him just a few feet from the llama. Don't they kick? Or spit? We have a wild man!

The kids all played hard and were exhausted by the end. You can tell by Joe's pleasant disposition seen in the family photos. We went home and took naps and then headed out to Friendly's. It is a restaurant/ice cream parlor. We love it. Overall, it was a fantastic day. We all had a great time. The best part of all was being together as a family and creating wonderful memories. We are so blessed to be a family!

I Did It All By Myself!

2008-10-21T08:52:00.001-07:00

I just changed my blog background all by myself without any help. I am so proud of myself. Brent tried to help, but he is busy and the changes he made didn't quite cut it for me! I got the code from this website to give them credit: http://ashscraps4u.blogspot.com/search/label/Halloween. But, they don't have a simple cut and paste like Pyzam does. I totally had to go into the html and edit it all by myself. Woohoo. I am so proud of myself. I even changed colors by typing in the hex values for the colors. Thanks for the vocab lesson, Babe. I am so excited. Now, I am really and truly a computer nerd. Hehehehe.

I've Been Tagged

2008-10-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

OK, so Lauri tagged me. So, here goes!

1. I always get a pass for making Brent watch a bad movie. When we were dating, he got me to watch Lawnmower Man 2. Quite possibly the most horrible movie ever. It scores an 11% on rotten tomatoes. So, now no matter how bad the movie is that I make Brent watch, I always remind him of the 93 minutes of hell that he put me through. It was so horrible in fact, that no amount of horrible movies that I could put Brent through could make up for it.
2. A lot of people think that I am really uptight before they get to know me - especially at church. I think this is because I always comment a lot during lessons and thy assume that I am super "spiritual". One of the women at church was floored when I confessed that I wore mini skirts before my mission. Just imagine how shocked she would have been if she had seen them!
3.TMI Alert - I am Torny when pregnant. So this is a good time for Brent to fill up the canteen before the drought. If you are not sure what I am talking about, you will have to scour past blogs.
4. I am a closet computer nerd. I have stayed up all night playing video games - Ratchet and Clank kicks butt! I use Linux and have banished the evil Microsoft from my computer. I have even im'd my husband while sitting next to him in bed. I don't think it gets any worse than that.
5. I am our family handyman. Brent asks for permission to use my tools. He is really impressed with my drill. OK, OK get your mind out of the gutter. I am talking about power tools, not bedroom! Brent is horrified that I am writing this, but what can I say?! I always talk/type before I think. It gets me in a lot of trouble. I think that I could fill up a room with people I have offended!
6. The one thing that changed me the most was my mission. I went in a total mess. I knew the Church of Jesus Christ was the Lord's church, but I wasn't very focused. I learned obedience and hard work. I started off by sleeping in late all the time and always talking about home and school and especially hot young men. By the end the Elders called me a "crack buster" because I really knew how to bust some butt crack! It set me on a course that would make me a better wife and mother. Learning to put myself aside for the Lord and the wonderful people I served was the best lesson for the future that I could have gotten.
7. Brent calls me "Balls-Out Dani". I love to do anything exciting! I always go on the scariest rides at Kings Dominion. Even the one that chopped the kids legs off at another park. It is way, way scary. I love to be pulled on the inner tube behind the jet ski and be sling-shotted around the lake. I love sledding down the mountains. I even have a secret fantasy to go on "The Amazing Race" so that I can jump from tall buildings an do zip lines across horrifically huge gorges. Brent took me to go spelunking as one of our first dates to "test" me out. I guess I passed. I don't think that I would do it now, though. I am way too fat. I am getting old and a little more worried about dying during one of our escapades, but man is it fun!

OK, so now I am supposed to tag someone else. I tag Brent, Adam and Jill, Leah - you can wait until after the baby, Emily, Leslie, and Jessica. I hate to tag you and I hope you don't feel obligated. I always blow off this stuff on email, but I was hurting for stuff to blog about.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2008-10-02T12:33:00.001-07:00

Well, Brent and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary last weekend. It was wonderful. He took the kids with him on Thursday evening to help pick out a gift for me. They really like getting presents for people, so it was a real treat. Brent let each of the kids pick out a card for me at the flower shop. As you can see, Joe has some misgivings about our union. I got a good laugh out of that one!

On Friday morning, after the kids left for school, Brent and I took Joe to Cracker Barrel. I love eating breakfast there. It is always a big treat for us.

Saturday Brent and I woke up early and took off for a day trip to the Shenandoah National Forest. It is beautiful. It was raining off and on the entire day but it was still amazing. We were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery with the top down for quite a bit of the ride. We didn't see any bears this time but we did see squirrels, deer, wild turkey, and lots of fun bugs! I love how gorgeous it is. The trees haven't really changed colors yet, but we are hoping to go up as a family next weekend. Hopefully, we will get to see some good color then.

On the way home, we stopped by some local shops and got some fresh, local grown apples and apple cider. It is the best cider in the world. We got so many apples that I am having to use up my entire collection of apple recipes! No complaints here. I love apple crisp. Mmmmm.

Here are some pictures. As you can see it was a great trip. I am so grateful for my sweet husband and the wonderful marriage we have. It is one of the greatest blessings in my life. It is amazing how having the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your life can take such a good thing and make it better. Our family is a gift that I never could have imagined 11 years ago. I am blessed beyond measure and I am so grateful for that!

Baby Names

2008-09-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well, as I mentioned before, we are kind of at a loss for baby names. I don't know why but nothing is really seeming to stick. There are lots of names that are nice, but they just don't quite fit my criteria. I not only want a name that I love but a name that means something. Something to help my kids know that they can be great and good and kind.

I love, love, love the name Moroni, as in Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon. In The Book of Mormon it says "if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." What a powerful statement. So much goodness. Anyway, Moroni is too much like moron, so I will not punish my son with that as a first name. I am pretty sure that that will be his middle name, though, since nobody ever really knows your middle name anyway.

I also like the name Kalev. It is Estonian. He is the epic hero of the Estonian national poem. Kind of like Hercules or Thor. The whole story makes me think of the Estonian people and their love of freedom. They were so strong and unbreakable. Such good people who believed in the things that were truly most important - family, freedom, free agency. It would be a tribute to the people we loved and served as well. Mom hates it, but she hates most names we pick anyway.

The final name we liked Is John. I love the story of John the Beloved in the Bible. He is the only male disciple to remain with the Savior until his death. All the other disciples denied Him and went into hiding. Only John and his great love for His beloved Savior and friend stayed by his side. His love and devotion never faltered. What a great name to be given!

Anyway, we were talking with the kids about baby names the other day. Emma wanted Prince Charming to be his name. She thinks we are crazy to not name him that. Fortunately, she kinda likes the name John. When we mentioned it, she said "Yeah! John - John McCain!" Apparently our interest in the politics has spilled over to the kids! She is so funny. So, as far as Emma is concerned there are really only two name options, Prince Charming and John McCain.

Revelation!

2008-09-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I debated sharing this story in such a public forum but I just have to. It is too good to pass up. The lesson in Relief Society this week was on revelation. The teacher and I are good friends. I love her to death. She is one of those really kind people that you never feel judged by. I love that in a person.

During the lesson, she shared a personal experience with the class. When she started sharing the story, she looked straight at me, so I knew what she was going to say. She had already shared this story with me a few weeks ago. I put a smile on my face as she said, "When Dani was giving her talk a few weeks ago and she was talking about motherhood being her career choice, Terri(another sister in the ward) and I looked at each other at the same time and said 'she's going to have eight kids!'" Then she told everyone that she was getting goosebumps just talking about it.

Several women looked back at me to see my response. Fortunately, I still had that smile on my face! Several women got a little upset and said that you can't receive personal revelation about someone else. I just kept smiling and said, "Stop, you're going to make me cry!" I was teasing of course, but the thought of more pregnancies does make me feel like I am going to have a panic attack. I hate being pregnant and I am getting pretty old.

Five feels like I am at my breaking point. I am overwhelmed and I feel terrified when I think what it will be like after having this baby, who is still unnamed because I am running out of good names. I don't know how women who have really big families do it. I feel like 4 is a big family. I can't imagine doubling it. Anyway, time will tell, but I don't really see myself doubling that number in this lifetime. Now, that gives me goosebumps...of terror!

Hair out of control? Here's some help!

2008-09-09T15:18:00.001-07:00

Emma's Turned 5!

2008-09-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Emma's birthday, so I thought that I would write a blog about what a fantastic girl she is. My sister Shelli once said that those kids that are really a challenge make up for it. It is true. She is a challenge but her personality is larger than life. She can be sugar and spice – the kind of spice that makes you shriek in pain! What a delightful girl she is and one of our greatest gifts. Getting to be her parents makes us feel like Heavenly Father's favorite kids because he has spoiled us so much. So, a little about what makes Emma so fantastic:

She is sassy. She spent the majority of her first year screaming! She has reigned that in a little, but she sure can throw a fit! Brent tends to get intimidated by the thought of having such strong girls. I keep telling him that if we teach them what is right, they will use the Force for good and not evil. He still worries about having to wait up for them all night with a shotgun, but there is some reassurance.

She is loving. She loves to snuggle and love and hug and kiss. When we first moved out here, she would spend hours sitting on Brent's lap sucking her fingers while he worked. She is so excited about this new baby we are having. She will constantly be touching my belly and telling me how much she loves the baby and how excited she is for him to come and why can't he just come now?!

She has the most incredible imagination. Everything is real to her. She is currently dating Prince Charming and if you walk by her room, you can often hear her talking to him. All the princesses at Disneyland are real, who is crazy enough

to believe that they are actresses? She was hoping to buy a mermaid at Sea World, unfortunately they didn't have any. Grammy even offered her pool to keep her in until we got home. Then her mermaid would stay in the tub. She confided in me that Daddy was so silly that he didn't know mermaids were real. Total exasperation! She had some friends in the corner of Grammy and Papa's pool that she would spend hours talking to. Fairies? Princesses? Mermaids? Little Girls just like herself? Who knows, just thoroughly entertaining!

She is fancy! Emma loves all things dress up! The fancier the better! A few Christmases ago, she got some dress up clothes from Santa. It was a Sunday, so guess what she wore to church that day? Yup, a bright red dress with spaghetti straps, tons of lace, and frills everywhere. Oh, yeah, and she wore her leopard print slippers to go with it. Being the great mother I am, we were five minutes late, so when we walked in, everyone started giggling. Nice. She also loves anything Cinderella. I had to make her a PINK Cinderella dress last Halloween. She still had a very nice BLUE Cinderella dress from the year before but she wanted the pre-wicked-stepsisters' attack dress. So, mommy went to work. She did look fantastic!

My favorite thing about Emma is she loves Heavenly Father and Jesus. She walks and talks with Jesus daily. He truly is her best friend. She will frequently ask me what Jesus would think about something – usually a bad choice that she is debating in her mind. Heaven and Hell are never far away and she is well aware of her need to be good because she wants to be with Heavenly Father! When we were visiting Grandma Ivie, she found the Christus statue on the Piano. Grandma came in and found Emma holding the hands and talking to Him. She was telling Him how much she loves Him. How she is trying to make good choices but she sometimes makes bad choices. She told Him she loves going to church and she even sometimes listens! She continued on for a while opening her little girl heart to her beloved Savior and friend. She is amazing and we are humbled to get to be hers.

The Best Part of Sarah Palin's Speech!

2008-09-04T06:43:00.001-07:00

I don't want to get political here, but I saw something last night that I loved during Sarah Palin's speech. I accidentally Tivo'd NBC - which I wouldn't have done if I had realized which network it was because they are totally biased! Well, I don't know if all networks got it, but they got a shot of her little daughter, Piper, licking her palm and "styling" the baby's hair. It was so cute. Brent and I totally laughed our butts off! She did it several times. I don't know why but these very normal things endear her and her family to me. I tend to be conservative/traditional anyway, but seeing a woman with a family that is like mine really makes me excited about the ticket. Especially seeing a strong woman with my values! Good job McCain, because before you were just the lesser of two evils, now I am excited.

Finally, Our Trip To California!

2008-09-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been over a month since we went to California and I still have not blogged about it yet! I think that I win some kind of prize for procrastinating. Any lazy blogger prizes out there? Anyway, we had a great time. We stayed with my parents and Jim and Janeal were there as well. The kids loved playing with cousins. It almost makes me wish we were closer.

We did lots of fun things while visiting. We went to Sea World, the beach for a day, and of course played in Grammy and Papa's pool. It was delightful. My only regret is that we didn't get one more day for the beach. I am afraid that we were wiped out when we got there and it only went downhill from there. We were almost dead when we got home. It was a great trip, though, and we loved getting to see everyone. We feel very blessed that Brent has a job that allows us to go on such expensive vacations! Brent wants to save the money next year – we kinda need to finish our basement now that there will be 5 babies running around, but we will just have to see how homesick I get!

Great discussion on families!

2008-08-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a lot of blogs about motherhood and what a tough job raising a family is! I just wanted to post this link to the LDS Church's website. This is the Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting: Building Up a Righteous Posterity February 9, 2008. I loved the message that it sent. It is long but it was so uplifting to me! It really reassured me as to my worth and how important the job I am doing is. I hope that some of you get the chance to read it, maybe in morning study. I just can't say enough how much I loved it! Anyway, for those of you brave enough for a bit of reading here it is:

http://lds.org/library/display/0,4945,8027-1-4404-4,00.html

The First Day of School

2008-08-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was the first day of school. Woohoo! I don't know why I am always so excited for summer to start and then can't wait to get the kids out of the house once summer is over. Maybe I was meant for year-round school. It is good for the kids to be in school now. They all had great days and are enjoying the new school year.

JR said his day was pretty good. He said he kinda held back and was checking things out and wasn't really ready to decide who his friends would be. Not to worry, today he said that there is a kid in his class who is kind of a nerd who is really cool and they have so much in common. Hmmm. Does that mean that my boy is a nerd? He is a Kynaston you know! His teacher is great but really strict according to JR. I like the sound of that. 4th grade needs a firm hand. She seems to really enjoy what she does and has some experience.

Ruthie had a great first day. She has so many friends that she can hardly contain herself. There are lots of old friends from her old school and some new ones too. They just built a new school and we go to it. Ruthie is all about the social life. She is a great student, though so I don't worry about her getting too distracted. Her teacher seems great as well. She seems really nice and experienced as well.

Emma had a wonderful first day of school. She started Kindergarten this year! My baby! She is so excited she can hardly stand it – more so than any of my other kids have been. When I asked her how her first day was, she said “It was so great! But it was really, really long.” (Big sigh) It is full day Kindergarten and I am afraid it is a bit much for her. She fell asleep on the bus home today and then fell asleep again watching Brent play video games. Her eyes are the most tired eyes I have seen. She is certainly loving the experience, though. She's so big! Her teacher is great and already loves her. How can you not love that girl!

Joe's day was not as great. The beginning was OK but he got attacked by wasps last evening! Brent was out there with him and whisked him up and into the house immediately. He got three stings. Poor baby! He was really upset. I got on JR's case because I told him to stop harassing the wasps and setting a bad example for Joe. Unfortunately, seeing his little brother sob and sob taught him a lesson about examples that he is not likely to forget. Joe was better after a warm bath and some benadryl. I wish that I could say that he learned his lesson, but when JR mentioned it to him this morning he got ticked off again and tried to head out back to get even. Thank goodness that Brent killed them all last night. What a boy!

As for mom, I love the quiet! I do miss the kids and am glad to see them when the bus rolls around. I think this is good for all of us. Now, I know why kids need to move out when they get older, to give us moms a break! So, I will enjoy this time of peace until next April when I will start counting down the days until I get the kids to myself all day long again! Man, am I nuts!

Whew! They sure are pooped after a long day!

Father's Blessings

2008-08-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Well, tonight was the big night. The night before school starts. Following in our family tradition, Brent gave each of the kids a father's blessing. (Except Joe, he fell asleep during the Family Home Evening that proceeded). I love these wonderful experiences! The kids were so excited to have this special moment with their daddy. Each one felt his love for them and he also let them know that he could feel the deep love our Father in Heaven has for them. I am the lucky one because I got to peek and watch their faces during this wonderful time. They are so sweet and their faith in these blessings is so sincere. I love this opportunity.

I am so thankful for these wonderful experiences. I remember having them when I was a kid. It was one of the many times that I deeply felt my father's love for me. It was always so comforting to listen to his blessing and know that he loved me so much. I also loved how these blessings helped me feel my Heavenly Father's love so deeply as well. I always knew during these times that I truly was God's child and that He loved me! Certainly enough to send me to such incredible earthly parents. What a gift the Priesthood is and the light and love it brings into our homes. I am truly blessed!

Drumroll Please....

2008-08-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Brent and I went to get a sonogram. We have been really excited to find out if we are having a boy or girl. We have even numbers, so we don't really care much either way. I was having a rough time a few months back and just never really feeling good. I asked Brent for a blessing of comfort and during it he referred to the baby as "he". He wasn't sure if it was inspiration or just habit after Joe. I felt like it might be a boy, too, since the baby kicked so hard. But...I am usually wrong so I figured that I was having a girl. Either way, we were excited. Joe could have a buddy if we had a boy and I could go buy those cute dresses that I have had an eye on if it was a girl.

So, we all piled into the little room with the sonogram tech. Hmmm... is that what it looks like? I think it might be...? Yes, it is a BOY! We are really excited. JR felt vindicated and Emma reassured me that she will still love the baby, even though he is a boy. Ruth is just hoping this one turns out as great as her little buddy, Joe. Me too! Here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

Our Trip To Utah

2008-08-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

OK, I have officially gone overboard with procrastinating. I have been home for weeks now and have not blogged about our trip except for a quick blog about the mission reunion. So, while Brent is out doing bishopric stuff, I am going to do my best to make up for my lack of blogging. Fortunately, I will not make it to long. Or I will – I just don't know yet.

As I mentioned before we went to Utah in the middle of July. We spent a few days with Brent's mother, Candace. It was wonderful. We got to spend lots of time talking with most of Brent's siblings (Adam is in Michigan now, so he wasn't there). Brent has a really close family and I get along with everyone really well, so it was tuns of fun to see everyone. Brent also got to play video games with his brothers, which was a highlight for him. They stayed up all night and wore their hands out. JR even joined in and gave his uncles some game. They all had a fantastic time. Brent will probably have to blog about it himself, because I can't do it justice.

The kids also got to play with cousins. Brent's sister Bethany has two girls several years older than our kids, Lacey and Brooklyn. They are really sweet and play so well with our kids, even though I am sure that our kids get on their nerves a little. JR and Ruthie especially love it because the girls are just old enough to seem like really cool older friends. Cousins Holly and Lizzy also came over. They are both just a few months younger than Joe. They are both only children, so I think that my thundering herd was a little overwhelming but my kids sure loved them.

We also had a wonderful party with all of the Seaver (Candace's side) family. It was so much fun to see everyone. Brent's grandparents have both had some scary health issues since we have moved away and we have both wanted to make sure that we spend more time with them. They have been an important part of Brent's life and we love them so much. Grandpa Seaver in particular has really been a great mentor and priesthood example to Brent. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for helping my sweet husband know how to be a good man. They are really the best.

After a few days with Candace, we went to his dad's (Dorel) house. We had a wonderful time there as well. I think that I will let Brent tell all about it, though, because a lot of the time was spent doing boy stuff.

So, to make a long blog short, we had a great time. We loved getting to see everyone. It was such a blessing to be able to spend so much time with our wonderful family. We sure love each and every one. It is the hardest part about being away. Fortunately, we do have wonderful vacations!

Have I lost my mind?

2008-08-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

I must be crazy! Not only do I have four kids at home and one more on the way – a full plate by any measure – but now we have gotten a puppy! Ruthie has been saving up for months ($9 a week, 10% tithing, 20% mission, and the rest is hers to use) and finally earned over $100 dollars! Pretty impressive if you ask me. The other kids would spend their money and she would say “I really want some candy, but I know that I will enjoy a puppy longer." Nothing short of miraculous for my candy fiend.

So, we looked online when we got home and I couldn't find any mutts or rescue dogs that fit our requirements. They weren't much, just a puppy, small, and no devil breeds. Sorry poodles, we ain't buying! Some places also wouldn't adopt to homes with kids under five. Their loss! I looked at several papers and found some great deals! There were several types that we were looking into but Ruthie really wanted a Dachshund a.k.a. a wiener dog! Not my favorite but I did not sacrifice month's of candy for this special purchase. I wanted a pug! So, we found someone by Richmond that had some puppies.

We picked a lovely little girl. She is really cute in spite of being a wiener dog. Ruthie decided on the name Luna. She didn't know it was a real word, she was just putting different sounds together. I thought that we should name her something having to do with wiener but the only name I could come up with was wanker. Probably not the dog you want to introduce to the Relief Society president when she comes and visits – unless it is Mom, of course. So, here is Luna.

The grass is almost as tall as she is!

Sleepy little Luna.

Ruthie sometimes will slip her hand in to calm Luna.
Against the rules, but what can ya do?

JR has decided that maybe saving up was worth it.
Now he thinks he will too. Mom's not so sure.

Just Joe's size!

Emma keeps excitedly proclaiming "She loves me!"

Can't seem to get enough of Luna.

The jury's still out for Svetlana. Luna sure wants to
play with her.

Joy!

2008-08-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Brent and I took the family to Utah a few weeks ago. Our main goal was to visit with Brent's family (which we still need to blog about) but we also got the opportunity to go the 15-year Anniversary Reunion of the Blair's Latvia, Riga Mission. Translation: It has been 15 years since our beloved mission president, Robert Blair, and his delightful wife, Julia, opened the Latvia, Riga Mission. Brent and I both served in Estonia which was part of this mission.

We started the reunion on Friday morning with a trip to the Mt. Timpanogos temple. We were the first ones to get there (yeah, I know, miracles do happen!) and we sat in the chapel waiting for our session. We sat by ourselves for a while when the Blairs came in. It was amazing to see them. The love that Brent and I have for this beautiful couple is so great. They have both done so much to help mold and shape who we are. I love them for helping me become the woman I am today as well as for helping Brent become the great man he is today. They are truly unique treasures that our Heavenly Father blessed us to serve with. How wonderful to do a temple session with them again. We have once again been blessed for a brief moment to serve with them.

That evening we had the couples dinner. It was just for our missionaries and their spouses. We got to just stand around and talk to some of our best and most beloved friends for quite some time. We got to talk about our companionships and investigators. We remembered our time spent together and the tremendous bond that we shared as fellow servants. We also got to catch up on everyones lives and how they are doing. Everyone was doing so well and their families are so beautiful!

After the dinner we had a trivia game. Basically, they asked questions about the mission and different missionaries experiences. It was so much fun to sit around and reminisce. It was also a very humbling experience. When you are in the middle of something, I think that your vision is just focused on the task at hand. As we talked about what happened in the Baltic states and what we did while we were there, I realized that we were a part of something great. We were a part of the group that opened the Latvia, Riga Mission. We witnessed and were a part of miracles. And often. As we talked of these wonderful, fun, and often sacred experiences, my gratitude deepened for my Father in Heaven. I am so grateful that I got to be a part of that mission. I am grateful that God saw something in me that could help build up His church in Estonia.

On Saturday, we had a family picnic at the park. It was wonderful! Many of our companions who were not at the dinner the night before, were there at the park. We got to catch up with them as well. It was so fun to watch our kids play together. JR even got to sit down and talk with President Blair for a minute. I know it might sound silly but that was something really special for me. I am glad that he got to meet the man that we often talk about when we talk about our missions. I am glad that he can now put a face to the name and many of our experiences.

To sum up this long, long blog, I will quote Brent; “I think that this is what it will be like when we meet in heaven.” The joy that we felt in seeing our friends, people we are connected to in a such a unique way, was extraordinary. Brent likened it to the scriptures when Alma and the sons of Mosiah met after their missions. “...this was a joyful meeting. Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God...Now the joy of Alma in meeting his brethren was truly great, and also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni.” Our joy was great in seeing one another continue on the path that the Blairs helped put us on. We were continuing to strive to serve our Lord. Once again, we got to be a part of something great.

We're Home!

2008-07-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well, we are home and almost back to normal. We had an exhausting trip and are still trying to catch up. We went to UT for a little over a week and then to CA for a little over a week. We got almost no sleep the whole time and I am afraid that more than once I pushed my pregnant body a little too far. It was wonderful, though, and we loved every minute of it.

To top it off, we had a delightful flight home -not! We did a red-eye and had a horrible experience. We usually love Jetblue but they were a nightmare this time. We sat on the plane for over two hours before they even tried to start the engine. It was a 10:30pm flight so all of our kids were dead asleep. Once they did try to start up the engine, it turned out that the plane wasn't working, so we had to go to another plane on the other side of the airport, in a different terminal!

We had to wake up the kids and take them to the other plane. None of them wanted to wake up. They also never gave us our stroller back, so we had to carry them all. Not a single flight attendant offered to even hold a bag. Nice! Joe was exhausted and sobbing and thrashing around. Not much fun on a pregnant back! Brent finally set him on his computer bag with his back to the long handle and pulled him and the bag to the other plane. He screamed the whole way. When we finally got to the next plane, we had to wait a while to board the plane. Emma laid on the floor crying and kicking a wall. I thought about joining her but didn't want to overwhelm Brent.

They finally got us on the plane and we landed almost 3 hours late. So much for our love affair with Jetblue. Anyway, we are home now. We are almost recovered and now I can start blogging!

Our Family's 4th of July

2008-07-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a great 4^th of July! We were going to go camping at Lake Anna but certain unnamed pansies were too afraid of a little thunderstorm. Sooo, we went to Kings Dominion (our local amusement park) to play and watch fireworks. It was great.

It started raining right after we got there and that certain unnamed pansy wanted to go home. Unfortunately, as we all know, I am hormonal and ornery. So, we stayed. It was actually nasty humid and hot and the rain was a welcome help. We couldn't swim because of some stupid rule about lightning and what not. Again, just a bunch of pansies!

Bumper Car Madness!

JR is taking Emma on a wild ride!

Ruthie and Joe having fun.

We did ride some fun rides, though. We also watched a great fireworks show with a really weak ending. Joe was mesmerized by them. He hardly could take his eyes off of the sky. It was fun to watch his intensity. We also got to eat cotton candy, which was a highlight for the kids. Good thing that I didn't cheap out when I realized how much they were charging - $4 a piece! What a rip off.

Our kids favorite ride!

Joe and Emma patiently waiting for fireworks.

Brent took some pictures on his cell phone and they aren't very good. My camera is broken and we need to replace it. Here they are though, along with a few others.

Not even Emma can wake up mommy and Joe!

Emma is showing mom her own sunflower that she has grown from a seed.

Now that she has mastered growing maybe she can help with weeding this jungle!

Snuggle Lovin's

2008-07-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

My sweet kids love to snuggle our little Joe. They are excited too for our new baby. Here are some pictures of what we call at our house, “Snuggle lovin's”!

This is Joe snuggling his Mommy (and our new baby without even knowing it)!

The girls really know how to do it right!

Emma and Joe like to go cruising together (assisted by their right fingers)!

Ruthie and Joe are good friends!

Joe doesn't like to do anything without his big brother at his side.

Even daddies like to snuggle!

Shake That Bootie!

2008-06-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Some of our kids have to get up and dance during certain Apple iTunes commercials. Yes, the Apple marketing campaign gets their money's worth out of our family. Little Joe has mastered this "boo-tay thang"!

Neurotic and Hormonal Again

2008-06-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Of the many things that I hate about pregnancy the hormones are definitely at the top of my list. Not only do they make me throw up all the time, they make me neurotic! I hate how I start bawling at the drop of a hat. The other day, someone asked me how I was feeling. It took everything in me to not break down. I knew that if I started crying, I wouldn't stop. It was so overwhelming.

I am always like that when I am pregnant. I am so emotional. I say and do things that I would never normally say or do. When I was pregnant with Joe, I had this horrible run-in with this hideous woman from the DMV. I finally got so frustrated that I called her a hateful, bitter woman. I get angry at people all the time but I never let it get to calling names. I just feel like it undermines my point. I was just so upset, though, and I couldn't help myself. BTW – I did run into her a few months ago, and I am right. She IS a hateful, bitter woman.

So, here I am emotional and a complete mess – totally overwhelmed with four kids and being pregnant with my fifth. I don't know why but I just feel really low at this point. Then I am reading from the World Wide Leadership Training Meeting that the Church had in February. Sister Julie B. Beck, the General Relief Society President, said:
“In reality there are a few women who will be able to have children and have a lot of them. And in that ward family we should rally around and support them. It’s a challenge to have a large family. I would certainly hope that no member of the Church would approach another sister in the ward and say, “You’re crazy for having another child,” but rather celebrate her ability and her desire to have them and say, “I’m supporting you. Let me do all I can to encourage and help you in that.””

I don't know why – hormones again – but this made me cry. I felt like I was given permission to think that this is hard. I feel like I am so blessed with my beautiful family. I have the most amazing kids and such a kind husband. How can I complain about it being hard?! But it has been so hard. I was so scared to get pregnant again. I remembered how scary Joe's delivery and first few days in the NICU were. I was numb and in shock for days. I didn't realize it at the time, but I think that I was so afraid of loosing him that I held back emotionally until we got home. I don't think that I could do that again, but we knew that our family was not complete. It was a tough decision to come to. I fought it a lot. I prayed and prayed and felt no peace. I finally realized that I knew what the answer was but I was unwilling to hear it. Once I decided I would just bite the bullet and go for it, I finally felt peace.

Then, once we did get pregnant, it was almost uncomfortable to tell people. They would paste on a big fake smile and say “Wow! Congratulations.” The look in their eyes was like they were looking at a bearded woman. Almost normal but hideously freakish at the same time. The real shock came when I would tell them that we went off of birth control on PURPOSE! I went from bearded woman to elephant man. Fortunately, there is tremendous comfort in knowing that we are doing what is right. And now, there is a little more comfort knowing that someone else thinks this is hard and that in spite of what a tremendous blessing our family is, we need a little extra support. Oh, I feel like I am going to cry again – thanks to those crazy hormones!

A Cold Thought for a Hot Summer

2008-06-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Just in case your summer is turning out to be as hot as ours I thought I'd share a delightfully chilly experience to help cool you down. Last March I went to Utah for the Novell BrainShare 2008 conference in SLC. I was able to go a day early and go skiing with my father. Skiing with Dad was quite nostalgic, reminding me of how much fun it was to spend time with him growing up. I'm fortunate to have a good dad who more than anything taught me to work hard and play hard. I hope his grand children will get the same from their daddy!

We Made it to the Lake!

2008-06-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well, we have finally made it to Lake Anna! It is our favorite lake in the world. It is heated by the nuclear power plant and is the perfect temperature. We love to go there and swim and jet ski. Our jet ski is almost 20-years-old but it runs amazing. It was hardly driven before we got it – long story – so the insides are practically new. It looks like a real junker on the outside. We are not vain, though, so we don't mind! And as a bonus, nobody wants to steal it.
Anyway, we love to get out to the lake but we haven't gotten out once this whole year until today. It was wonderful!! All the kids got a turn to ride the jet ski. It was so fun! I love to go out on the water and just ride through the trees and watch the herons, cranes and eagles fly by. Or see the cows grazing in the fields. It is one of the most peaceful things in the world!
We also got to swim lots. Emma scares the pants off of me because she just swims away. She is so tiny and only has confidence if she can touch. If she ever shot off into the deep water – which is a matter of when, not if – she would panic and probably sink. Terrifying! I do love to watch her swim, though. Her enthusiasm to swim mirrors my own feelings about swimming. I love to be in the water!
JR and Ruthie also caught some fun creatures. They caught lots of guppies and the cutest little turtle in the world! It is darling! We had such a great time! We were so exhausted by the end that I think that we all were about to pass out. But, we finally made it to Lake Anna!

I have married my mother!

2008-06-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

As I am sure that my sisters will attest to, my mom was a little nutty while we were growing up. Whether it was dressing up like a drag queen scuba diver a.k.a., “the room fairy”, making us dance with her while she sang “Dancing Matilda”, or asking me if I wanted to see a full moon and then mooning me, she was always doing something outrageous. As a kid, I was usually annoyed or embarrassed, but apparently now I love it! I must because my husband does all of these little weird things like my mother always did. His latest has been the hand dance that must accompany “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay. In the iTunes commercial the lead singer starts pumping his hand back and forth once the beat starts. So, when the song comes on we all must hold up our hands and wait for the beat to start at which point we all start to pump our hands. Even little Joe gets into it!! It is fun but I have to admit......I have married my mother!

Help! What should I name our baby?

2008-06-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

There is this mean girl on Ruthie's bus whose name is Tiarrhea. I am not positive how it is spelled but it is pronounced like diarrhea with a T. A capitol T that is! Hehehehe. I decided that her mother must have named her in response to her pregnancy. So, I have decided to do the same. Please let me know which name you like the most. I will tally the votes when we are done. The names are: Tuke, Tomit, Tonstipation, Tassy, Tloated, Tindigestion, Teart Burn, and Tat. I think that most of them are unisex, so we don't need to worry about the sex of the baby while naming. Hehehehe. I am such a geek, I crack myself up!!

My first official blog!!

2008-06-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

Alright, I am doing it. After posting our video, I was not really excited about using this format. The quality online was way, way, way lower than what we had on our computer. I am not sure why but I could hardly read the words. So, I was frustrated that all of my hard work turned into a big pile of poo! Yes, we have banished the c-word from our vocabulary -- near impossible but we are trying. The kids really keep us in line. If we say it they act like someone just dropped the f-bomb!

Brent and I worked really worked hard on our old website and then our computer died and we lost a lot of it. It really discouraged me from doing much more. I felt like it was fun putting together, but that it didn't pay off in the long run.

Fast forward to now.....I am exhausted, constantly nauseated, miserable, and extremely whiny. Brent kept bugging me work on this blog but I had no desire. I also felt like I needed to have a nice layout. I just wanted it to be pretty. Anyway, Brent was more excited about me blogging than helping me set up the layout and getting a background. I asked him how Lauri did hers and he said that Tony called him and asked HIM for help. A little my way please? Crazy! Anyway, I figured it out all by myself, but that is about all the effort that I can afford. I really don't feel like doing anything lately, except sleep. So, I guess that I am already setting up excuses for not doing much on this blog. I like excuses though, it gets me out of having to do too much. :-)

Anyway, here is my blog. A quick update for everyone. I am doing OK. I am sicker than a dog. I recently upped my meds to 8mg. I still feel sick constantly, but I am able to keep stuff down. Nothing sounds good to me, so I am probably not a model for a pregnancy diet. I have been having a chocolate pudding dessert for breakfast lately. Something about the creaminess really works for me. Mmmmmm. Of course, I still feel sick after eating it. Mostly, I just feel like I need to either sit very still or go to sleep. Hard to do with 4 kids running around the house.

I was released from my church calling about 2 weeks ago. I loved being Primary President, but I don't think that I could do it right now. I love the kids so much and I am so excited that we have such an energetic, fun new president. The kids are really going to be blessed with her guiding them. BTW - part of the reason why they released me is because they called Brent to be the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric. Wild! He is so loved in this ward, though. It will be a lot of work, but he will succeed at this like he does everything else.

My Wife the "Flower Child"

2008-06-17T19:33:00.001-07:00

Dani is the expert gardener of our family. She can take a tiny lifeless rose stem and turn it into a thriving frenzy of roses. This year she's ventured into new areas, experimenting with hollyhocks, calla lilies, irises and more! Here are a few of the latest pics.

Swimsuit Epiphany

2008-06-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Our two daughters Ruthie and Emma LOVE to wear their swimming suits EVERYWHERE!! Even if there is a zero percent chance that they'll be dipping into the water they each still insist on wearing one of their swimming suits (in addition to whatever other clothing we so hatefully impose on them).

Today I finally discovered what I think to be the cause of this phenomenon. I believe it has something to do with their sense of modesty! So often, especially in the summer, they like to wear summer dresses. This type of clothing is not conducive to rolling around, tumbling and rough-housing. They want to look like girls but play like boys! This is difficult when they have to be careful all the time to not expose their underwear. With a swimming suit so strategically clad it's OK if they're wild because no none will see their panties! It's like a free pass to do whatever they want - and at the same time still meet our societal requirements for modesty and normality.

I think that perhaps I'll wear my swimming suit to work tomorrow. With an accelerated sense of freedom and ambition, who knows what exiting new outcomes may be effected in my very own office!

Trying out some pictures!

2008-06-17T18:54:00.001-07:00

I am just fooling around with this stuff to see what to do. This is a funny picture of Ruth after I put curlers in her hair. She was really upset at first. We were able to get it to relax a little and she was a happy camper.

Our first family blog - A spooooky tale!!!

2008-05-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok - We're finally creating our own blog. To celebrate the new blog site we're uploading a super special spooky saga!!

Make sure you click on the video and maximize the screen so you can read the text (click on the bottom-right hand side of the video in the YouTube window).