Pictures

The day before Emma's birthday we took her 0ut for dinner with both sets of grandparents and Uncle Jared. It was a lot of fun. They brought her some chocolate flan with a candle. She loved it and ate it all gone. She asked me later if we ever go back to that restaurant can she get that dessert again, and eat it all by herself.

We had such a good time!

I can't believe that my first born has been baptized. It was an amazing experience for me. I hope that Emma never forgets how "happy" she felt that day!

Emma's Baptism, look into my eyes

1. Emma was baptized last Saturday. What a great day. It also happened to be her birthday. Both sets of grandparents were there to share in her special day. A few weeks ago my father-in-law told Bryan and I something that helped me to look at this experience a little different. He said that he wished when he was baptizing his kids that he would have stopped to just take it all in and enjoy what was happening. It is something you will only ever do once.

She was so excited for her big day. I loved sitting next to her and holding her hand as she listened to the talks, and helping her get dressed (after getting her warm from the freezing water). I loved looking down and her and seeing her big smile. She is amazing....

beautiful
talented
smart
kind
loving

a great daughter!!
(I will post pictures soon)
2. Look into my eyes...

A. I had to take Rachael to the eye doctor today. It was quite hilarious. She was so funny trying to read the letters/numbers. Unfortunately she didn't know there were also numbers until I told her and then she was quite surprised, and said then, "oh, yeah it is a 4". She really didn't want glasses because, "I'm used to looking at myself without glasses." The doctor was great with her. Of course, her antics just about drove me crazy. I'm not sure how many times I said, "put those glasses down, if you break them I will have to pay for them." We made it out of the office without an additional bill for broken glasses!!!

B. I usually sing a few songs to Madeline before she goes to bed. As I was about to leave she begged me not to go. She always wants just one more song. I told her I had to get ready for bed because I was tired. She said, "I'm not tired, look into my eyes, I'm not tired." She said that as her eyes were as wide as she could get them. She kills me. About the only way I can sneak out of there is by telling her I will check on her in a few minutes. Which is not too far from the truth... I just wait until she is already asleep. She buys it every time! I love little kids and their innocence.

Favorite Things

I love that little kids are always saying things wrong. It is just too cute. All of these are from Madeline's latest vocabulary. It doesn't get any better than...
Emma stop coffeeing me
I didn't want that kind because it was annoying
I don't bemember anything else
Are grandma and grandpa coming for Thanksgiving Beast...

Well, they are coming for turkey, I guess vegetarians would call us the beasts for eating one! Hmm.

I also love that she is fearless.. She just got home from a birthday party literally five minutes ago. She came in and said, "Bye mom, I'm walking to Emily's house."
Really??
She opened the door and headed out. I didn't really think she would keep walking, but when she did I quickly called Tori to tell her to open the gate. I ran to catch up with her and she stopped me and said, "Mom I don't want to go with you." Oh, why do they have to grow up so fast?????

Halloween

I know, I am almost a month late on this post... don't worry it is much later for the rest of them that I have in my head! I just wanted to get some cute photos of my kiddos on here before I forget.

We started our day out early! We had to drive 45 minutes to a friends baptism. They, sadly, moved to Boise a week later. We miss you guys!

Then it was back home for a run, then trick or treating with cousins!

Emma loved having her face green, and black hair!

The Fourth of September, 14-13!

I can't believe it was eleven years ago (yesterday) that Bryan and I were married. I love you Bryan and I am so glad to be married to you! You are my greatest blessing!

We weren't able to really celebrate our 10th last year and I wanted to surprise Bryan with something fabulous. He is always getting me nice gifts for b-days/mother's day/anniversaries.. what's my problem... (I don't know how to shop for stereo equipment.)

My good friend Laura and I made a deal that if we prepared for and completed our goal races that we would swap kids for 24 hours. She seriously has the raw end of the deal because she only has two children. I was able to cash in a little early. She watched our kids starting at 4p.m. yesterday and left at about 11:15 p.m. tonight. I made reservations at a place called The Stoneleigh. I didn't know it at the time but it is one of the Historic Hotels of America. It was a really cool place. We ate at a French restaurant a couple of blocks down called Old Warsaw. Oh my! Wonderful food! If we had known about the pianist and violinist starting at 7:30 we maybe would've gone later, but it was really good!

Lots of famous people stayed at this hotel and I thought these were cool...

This morning we went furniture shopping... we are so boring sometimes! We didn't buy anything but I think we finally found a chair we both like. After a quick stop at home to see the kids we went to THE game!

It was incredible! The stadium was amazing as so were our seats! With a mammoth screen you don't really need good seats though. We caught ourselves watching it sometimes. We were on the side of our end zone. I still can't believe we won! We were teased by some OU fans before the game about whether or not we had lost a bet and that is why we were wearing our BYU t-shirts. HA HA... who is laughing now??? For at least 15 minutes after the game BYU fans lingered with no signs of resting their vocal cords. It was a blast! I am so glad we were able to get tickets and be there. Crazy enough Bryan saw one of our friends from Ithaca, Chris Stephenson and his son, there. I was totally jealous and wished to see Becca. Josh we wish you could've been here!!!

GO COUGS!!!

Giant

I often wonder if the backyard in the first house I really remember was truly as huge as my memory makes it. I would love to go back and check it out, just to see.

I wonder why ants like to attack us great big things with their ferocious bite and cause serious cankles!

I wonder if a certain daughter of mine was truly just trying to get her way or really believes what she said to her elder sister, "well, mom is a giant to us".

I'm not that much taller than them, but I wonder if she truly thinks I am a GIANT to them???

Big Stud

Here he is...

Before...


and after...

WHAT A STUD

Quick update:
24 lbs 10 oz (75%)
29 1/2 inches long (40%)
19 1/2 head circ. (greater than 97%)

I'll post his adorable video of him eating his cake when I figure out how to edit it and just put the good stuff on it... it is quite long.

Reading minds...

Anyone good at that? Neither am I... One morning Bryan was getting the girls some breakfast and... as usual... Rachael was having a hard time telling him what she wanted. She comes in and expects us to know. Most mornings she does request the same thing, but when we happen to be out of Frosted Mini Wheats, she has to choose something else. Bryan told her that he can't read minds. Emma interjects and says that Mrs. Nester can. Oh, really. Bryan told her that she is a teacher she can do that. She responded... "well, maybe she can teach you how." I wish!!! Bryan and I got a good laugh out of that one!

Blog Catch-up

It isn't just my blog I have to catch up on... I need to read all of yours too.

1. prayer time/favorite lines... At our house lately prayer time has gotten quite dramatic! AHHH! We have to constantly tell Rachael to close her eyes. Madeline stalls as long as possible.. who knows why. She says great prayers..... some of my favorite lines from Madeline lately...

thank you that Jacob can not have pee-pee accidents in his diaper

thank you for my friends, that I can go to their house, and they can come to our house

thank you for MOMMY and DADDY (angrily)... [that was tonight, she was mad at me]

thank you that my grandma Hirschi can not die.. [I prayed for my grandma Hirschi one night by name and it has stuck with her!]

I wish I could remember more... if I do, I will just edit this post.. not for you, but for me...

Madeline is just at a great age for saying funny things... one day when I was taking Jacob to the Doctor she asked me if we were going to use the "elegator"... a couple Sunday's ago I was taking her to the bathroom and as we walked past a classroom she said to me.. "that's the spanking corner"... GREAT! my child will never be able to have class in that room! I couldn't control it I burst out laughing.. when I got back to the chapel I asked Bryan if he knew what she was talking about. apparently he did... enough said.

2. Half truths... so is it bad to tell your child-who will not sit in her car seat without a serious battle- that if she doesn't sit in her "safe seat" the police could catch me and put me in jail. I guess, oh well if it is because I did...if I have scarred poor Madeline for life, I will just have to fix it somehow.. She was so stressed out over it for a couple of days that she just kept asking about why the bad guys would come and take me and put me in jail. I explained to her that I would be the bad guy for not putting her in the best safe seat and keeping her safe... and that's why the good guys who were just trying to protect her would put me in jail. My favorite comment about this was when I was buckling her carseat one day and she looks at me with the most sincere eyes I've seen on a child and says "mom if the bad guys take you and put you in jail, I won't have a mommy anymore." I did reassure her that she would have a mommy I would just be in jail. I guess this worked. We don't fight over which chair she will sit in anymore. However I have noticed that she likes to take her arms out of ther straps... urggghh... battle #2.

Side note... a couple of days after this happened... I was on my way home from the grocery store and listening to Delilah... I know Tami... I listen to it... I don't think its her that I am drawn to. It must be the music... because at night I don't like loud-bangy-annoying music that maybe during the day wasn't so annoying. At night, I like calm-soothing-music... I like to go to my "safe place" as Delilah put it. She totally cracked me up when she said that. Of course the people she was asking if they had a safe place are those that need to get away from a cheating spouse, or troubled teens... etc... huh??? Does your life have to be in shambles to have a safe place. I have several... my bedroom... one of the only rooms in my house that is 95% of the time clean... and free of clutter... which is probably why the rest of my house is cluttered... the couch upstairs is another place... I can just veg in front of the tv.... anywhere in my house that I here children laughing instead of screaming is a good place for me...

3. Fiddling around... my good friends have introduced me to a new world... coupon-ing... is that a word?? so I get the paper on Saturday... I usually start out by checking out the coupons, then read the front page if something looks interesting... then check the arts section... I happened to come across an ad for Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol (the original cast member playing Tevya). I love musicals. It started on Tuesday and only ran seven days. So I asked Bryan if he wanted to go, and I bought tickets. Viola! It was so fun! We didn't have the greatest seats, but so long as you can hear, and don't get stuck behind someone too tall..... there isn't really a bad seat. It had been a long time since we had been to a play. It was fabulous! If you get a chance to see it in your area I recommend it.

4. Field Day... Fun! Fun! Fun!

I love the end of the school year, about as much as I love the beginning! I look forward to not having to wake up, and get everyone ready, and be somewhere.. can we just be lazy for a few days??? Anyway... Emma and Rachael had such a good time at field day. The PTA and PE instructors did such a good job this year organizing everything. Rachael, Emma, and Ethan (cousin) all took first in the sack race.. I promise we didn't practice... Rachael took first in the dash, Emma fourth, they did kick-the-shoe, a bean bag toss, three-legged race, and a tug-o-war... here are some fun pics...

Emma tugging away....

Rachael and some of her friends...

Emma taking first in the sack race!!

Rachael gets an early lead..

pull harder Rach!

Emma and some classmates

Is it only in my head???, I'm the kid, the rodeo

1. A couple of days ago I woke up in the morning sobbing. This honestly has never happened to the degree it did this morning. I immediately woke Bryan and told him about my awful dream... here goes...

Bryan and I were in a car with his brother's Jared, and Eric, his parents, Tori, and a baby. I think it was supposed to be Eric and Tori's baby because I wasn't attached to it like I would if it were my own. Jared was driving the car. It was extremely snowy and we didn't appear to be on a paved road. Jared missed the first turn and the second, only to discover that the road was not going to allow our car to stop and we fell off a cliff. Everyone except Eric and the baby died. I'm not sure whether Bryan did or not, it was very strange. Anyway. We were in this room where they were having a funeral luncheon of some sort and my children were all there. Bryan was holding Madeline. She could see me but my other kids could not. I kissed her on the forehead sobbing and then I woke up. I missed my children so much and wasn't ready to be parted from them that is why I was crying.

Not a good way to start a morning for most people. I woke up extremely saddened but ready to be kinder and more patient with my kids. I wanted to spend more time with Madeline. I wanted to listen to my kids when they speak to me. I wanted to do all those things with and for my kids that I am not doing now. What a wake up call!!! (Not to be punny!)

I rarely wake up and can remember the details of my dreams let alone a few days later. I think about this often and about how you really just don't know when it will be your time to go, or the time of one of your loved ones. I guess that is why it is so important to do and say things that will have a positive lasting impact as much as humanly possible. I know I slip up every day. But, I am trying. I am really trying!

2. Madeline has turned into quite the little imaginative kid lately. I love it! She tells me all the time that we can dance and she will be the princess and I can be the prince. Afterall, she is the only one with a skirt on. Today, after we got back from the 5k she asked if we could play mom. She was in the garage playing and I was cleaning out the closet in the laundry room. At first I was in the garage with her as she was riding her tricycle. She was such a hoot. She told me that first she needed to fill it up with gas. So she put it next to the van. No idea. She called me sweetie the whole time. It was great. At first I didn't get it, then I started calling her mom. She loved it.

She got some candy for going potty in the big potty. She picked smarties. I got on the phone. While I was talking I coughed. She came in a couple of minutes later with one smartie and asked if I coughed. At first I didn't remember coughing but I could see that this was my medicine. So, I told her I did. She came in several times with my medicine. It is a good thing it wasn't real cough drops or my throat might be numb from all the medicine. At one point she came in and told me she was sorry. She said "I'm sorry sweetie, I have to go on a date." I played a good kid and told her I didn't want her to go. Then she told me she had to go to a meeting. But she told me not to worry because daddy would be home soon. I told her I wanted to go with her. But she told me, "I'm sorry you can't come to my meeting." I asked her why and she said, "because daddy said no." I got a good laugh out of that. I had fun being a kid for a while, and I know she had a good time being a mom!!!

3. Bryan and I went on a date tonight and I wanted to do something different. Something we rarely do. You guessed it, we went to the rodeo. Oh dear! Where do I start. Where I grew up, in the great town of Othello, Washington, we have a fabulous rodeo. It "may not be the biggest, just one of the best." It was awesome! I remember going with my grandpa when I was really little. He always had a rented box. It was so much fun! Tonight was a lot of fun, but hilarious at the same time. It started off with a prayer. Not just any prayer. I tell my kids all the time that we don't say joke prayers.... well, in the realm of cowboys maybe this wasn't a joke prayer, but about half-way into I cracked my eye open to see that Bryan had his eyes open and we were both laughing hysterically. First off, he prayed for all the cowboys out there. By the end he was talking about how he hoped that God would welcome these cowboys in after their last ride where the grass grew up to their stirrups... oh, my... I wish I could remember more of it.

There were two events that we never had in our rodeo. Mutten busting, and I don't know what they called the second one. It was during one of the breaks where all the kids that want to get on the arena, do the chicken dance, (anyone not familar with the chicken dance? don't worry I had no idea what this was until my brother-in-law got married. I think it's a Texas thing??) Anyway, then the release two calves and the kids chase after them. I'm not sure how they determine the winners, but there was two of them. It was a riot. We had a good time! One of the best parts was the rodeo only cost us $5 to park, and $5 a piece for admission!!! Thanks, sweetie, for a good time!