Me and My Kai

Kai is 3!

2009-07-14T16:46:00.009-06:00

I can't believe that my baby is three years old. I am left wondering where the time went. Seems like just the other day I was envisoining where we would be when he turned 3...ah but that melancholy is for another day. Today it is time to share our celebration! We had a HUGE family party for him last Saturday. Jamie hasn't been feeling well this last week (again a post for another day) so he was able to be there, as well as the kids. I have been watching a lot of Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss lately (both are highly addictive and if you have anything better to do with your time I recommend you don't start watching) and it inspired me to try something new. For Kai's first B-day Grandma Kitty made him a cute tower cake that was all his own and last year I made a motorcycle racing sheetcake. So this year I was all set to do another sheetcake when Jamie convinced me we could conquer some sort of 3D version of the Tonka Truck...OK so normally I would point out my lack of culinary genius at this point but remember Ace of Cakes? Yeah, I was on board! So we set out with a vision in mind and about 8 cake mixes later we had what Miranda referred to as the leaning tower of cakes. I told her to have faith...She didn't have enough. About 80% of the way done my not so cool kitchen in the middle of July proved to be my nemesis as the back half of my cake came a tumbling down. This is what the back looked like before...I wouldn't let Jamie take a picture of the after.

I was about finished and getting ready to throw it in the garbage and head to Walmart's bakery when the kids rallied and came up with this idea.

All in all I think it turned out well...

Unfortunately, I have started something because Ethan informed me that he wants a Bakugan Cake for his party. Hello, Walmart?!

He is one spoiled little boy. He got 2 Knight sets being modeled here, 3 Tonka pods and a Transformer.

Changes!

2009-03-12T17:31:00.002-06:00

So people I didn't die! I know most of you thought I did because I haven't blogged in months but I didn't. I have had the best few months ever! There are so many AMAZING changes happening in my life and I can't wait to update y'all on them. But sadly I have to run but keep watching because as I said before I didn't die.

Going Private

2008-12-11T21:32:00.002-07:00

So, I really hate to do this because there are people that don't have google accounts that read my blog but it has come to my attention that there are people out there that are using information in my blog to cause me stress. I find this a little surprising because I don't feel like I post anything terribly exciting or revealing. But, I think that for the time being the best thing to do for me and Kai is to go private so that I know our lives are only being shared with those I know and love. I will be closing my blog to the public on Sunday December 21st. Please, please give me your email so that I can give you access and know that if I know your name then you are not the ones I am worried about. You can leave your email in a comment or email me at krista_creer@yahoo.com! Love you all!

Poor Dexter

2008-12-08T23:29:00.003-07:00

I finally had to put Dexter down. It was a sad day. I came home from work early Saturday morning and he wasn't in his house in the garage. I went out back to look for him and found that he had fallen off our porch steps and was stuck between the house and the steps. He had been having trouble with arthritis in his back legs but when I got him out from under the stairs he couldn't even stand up on his own. Nothing seemed broken or hurt because he let me carry him into the garage. I knew that it was time. I called my mom and went to bed knowing there was nothing I could do until the vet opened. My mom called and got an appointment at 2. She came over and helped me get Dex cleaned up and loaded into the car. Poor thing still couldn't stand on his own. I have never had to put a pet down before and as much as I joked about how he was supposed to be dead 3 years ago it was still emotional. I had that dog for 14 years. I got him shortly after my dad died.

The only good thing about it happening on Saturday when I had to go back to work that night was that Malakai was with his dad. When he got home on Sunday I pulled into the garage and Kai said "I need out to go pet my doggy." I had been pondering what I was going to tell him. Finally I just told him that Dexter got sick and went to be with Jesus. Malakai still looked in his dog house. Today when he asked when Dexter was coming back I reminded him that he had to go live with Jesus. I think he might have it now because he told my mom that "Dexter is going to be fine. He is with Jesus." I sure hope so Buddy, cause I kind of feel like a doggy murderer!

I'm Taking Applications...

2008-12-01T22:30:00.002-07:00

So I have decided that I need a dating sponsor. You know kind of like an AA sponsor but for dating. I think that AA and NA are really onto something. What a good idea to have someone there to hold your hand as you struggle through, someone who has been there and knows the challenges that you are facing. So I am applying that concept to my life. I don't think that this job will be as difficult as an AA sponsor. I don't foresee there being a big problem with drunken 2 am phone calls that result in them pulling me out of a bar in Payson (I don't even think there is a bar in Payson...is there?). No, this job will be more along the lines of keeping me dateable.

Primary job responsibilities will include:

Briefing me on proper adult conversation topics (No, he won't care how long you breastfed for or how long it took to potty train Malakai)
Wardrobe. (No, scrubs are not proper dating attire. I don't care if they are comfortable. Yes, that goes for pajama pants too!)
Grooming. (This pointy stick looking thing is called eyeliner...Next I am going to introduce you to lipstick! No, chapstick is not the same thing!)
Fine Dining Etiquette. (No, it doesn't class things up to actually go in to the McDonald's rather than the drive thru.)
Talking me down from the edge. This will probably be where the 2 am part comes into play with this sponsor. I do foresee lots and lots of late night phone calls! (No, I don't know what he meant by that. No, I don't know why he hasn't called you. No, you definitely don't look fat! Put the Ben and Jerry's ice cream away, Krista!)

If any of you are interested in the job let me know. I am warning you though, until someone steps up you are all going to have to deal with my confusion and incessant questioning.

My Guitar Heroes!

2008-12-01T22:06:00.002-07:00

I can't believe that it is December already! It seems like time is just flying by and Malakai keeps getting bigger. He is such a "good" helper and the week of Thanksgiving he was bound and determined to prove it to grandma. I don't think that the chair left the kitchen once in the 3 days that he was over there. My mom is so good to watch him for me while I work even when her life is crazy! I had to work Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving which meant that there was virtually no time for her to cook or bake without her little helper. We did find that he makes a great sampler and also a really good beater licker! At least, those seemed to be the things he enjoyed the most.

Thanksgiving has always been a really big event for my family. It usually involves the entire extended family and goes through the whole weekend. This year work kind of ruined that for us. Lisa, Wyatt, Trent and I all had to work on Friday and of course my mom was babysitter extraordinaire! But, we did make it up to Logan for the day. My aunt has a new gorgeous and rather large home there that we put to good use. It was a wonderful day full of food, family and Guitar Hero World Tour!

This is a picture of Kai Kai getting down! I hope that boy has more rhythm than his mom. I got demoted from drums to vocals pretty quickly.

We let the boys play alone for most the afternoon but then we crashed their party. I love the loook on Trent's face. He was kind of annoyed with our lack of musical ability. We can't all be blessed with that much talent!

So, once he gave up on trying to get me to hit the right notes at the right time he focused on teaching Malakai his signature Rockstar face!

He still needs some practice. It is hard trying to look tough with that baby face!

I'll stick to the book...

2008-11-21T17:26:00.003-07:00

The fates conspired together and I did end up going to see Twilight at midnight yesterday. I had told Denae a week or so ago that I didn't think I would be up to going. I thought I would be exhausted having worked Tuesday and Wednesday but I ended up getting sent home at midnight on Wednesday eventhough I didn't go to bed until 4am. It is impossible to turn off your brain once you have convinced it that it must stay awake all night long! Lisa had Malakai on Thursday so I was able to get some sleep. My friend Leya has been going a little stir crazy since her husband has been out of town for business ALOT and she is left home alone with 6 teenagers so we decided to see if we could find some tickets. She also threw in one of her teenage daughters as a free babysitter...SOLD! Luckily, the theater in Spanish Fork still had tickets. They opened all 8 theaters for the showing so it wasn't even very crowded. I even convinced my mom to go see it with us!

We showed up at the theater a little after 11 and got good seats and then we waited...and waited...and waited...and wasn't this supposed to be a midnight showing?!...and at 12:25 started watching the movie. Edward had just barely graced the screen when a strange siren and lights started going off. I was thinking, "boy, they sure are making his entrance dramatic." when I realized it was the fire alarm. Stupid! Most people's reaction would be to calmly evacuate the theater especially since there was a voice on the intercom saying "Please calmly evacuate the theater." But, not us. No, the entire theater just looked around blankly. We had waited an hour and a half for this movie and we knew one of two things would happen; either the alarm would shut off and the movie would resume or we would eventually burn to death. We were too tired to care which. After a couple minutes the alarm shut off and the movie started again. In hind sight, I can see that this was really the best option.

So what did I think of the movie? Eh, it was ok. Not nearly as good as the book! There was some serious over acting. Rosalie had a jiggle butt and I could hardly call her the most beautiful girl in the world and Carlisle's hair was a very unnatural color of blonde. But, all that aside I thought it followed the story relatively well and surprisingly I really liked the Victoria. My recomendation would be to go see the movie but also read the book because the movie leaves out so much. I guess it is kind of hard to pack a 600 page book into 2 hours.

The "Ex" Factor

2008-11-21T17:17:00.002-07:00

Well, it is official. As of November 18th, 2008 I am now divorced. It took 13 days from the time I filed...my lawyer said that was fast and I had to agree. It was relatively good timing though. I started full time this week and got my benefits all straightened out. I am doing good. It was a bittersweet day. To be honest, not a whole lot changed for me. It wasn't like I had the papers in my hands and everything hit me. I went through that in early September when Charlie moved out and I had to come to the reality that we were done. This was more like closure, though I would hardly admit that I am completely healed. It is going to take time for all 3 of us to be completly healed from this divorce. Charlie and I are working hard at trying to be friends and keep Kai's life as stable as possible. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and thoughts...please don't stop them just because the divorce is over! If anything I need them more now than ever!!!

Haircut

2008-11-21T17:13:00.002-07:00

This is going to be a short post. I just had to say that I did it again! I don't know how Kai is every going to have decent hair with his mom always giving him crazy haircuts that usually lead to a buzzcut. His hair has been looking rather fuzzy lately so I thought I would just trim a little off the sides and top but I got distracted and ended up taking a little too much off the top. I did my best to save it. He now has a mohawk! Goodness, when will I learn?!

Sorry...

2008-11-16T19:49:00.005-07:00

So I am apologizing in advance. I haven't blogged this week...again. It wasn't because I didn't think about it. I went to my blog several times this week hoping that something had magically been posted but sadly there are no magic blogging elves. The truth is...my life has been fairly tame this week. I spent time working in my basement with my wonderful family. I suppose I could have blogged about that. But, I am pretty sure that the only people that find bead board that exciting are me and my mom and we got to see it in person.

Kai and Brynlee had fun playing in the bouncy house. I got put on call again this week. Counted my shifts for the month, been on call for 5 of my 6 shifts! Thank Heaven I go full time on Tuesday.

Kai has been going through daddy withdrawls. The other night he threw an all out temper tantrum that he couldn't go to his daddy's house at 9:30 at night! I knew this wouldn't be easy but seeing my baby crying for something that I did...that I chose, nearly broke my heart! I pray to God that someday he understands and can forgive me. So in a vain attempt to make it up to him I took him to Chuck E. Cheese on Thursday. Charlie came and met us. It was nice to see the two of them playing together. That night helped me put things into perspective. Yeah I am hurting...yeah Charlie is hurting but that is all SO very secondary. This little boy is the most important thing in our lives and he needs to know how much his mom and dad love him. I am glad that Charlie and I are still friends, that we can go and eat pizza together and not fight over Kai. I have seen first hand what a nasty divorce with nasty people can do to kids (I lived with them! I'll tell you the stories later.)

So on that note, I talked to my lawyer on Friday. Paperwork has been submitted to the judge. We are now just waiting for a signature. My lawyer was hopeful that it would only be a couple more weeks.

I mentioned before that I was on call a lot so on Friday when staffing called I wasn't really surprised. But, I had dropped Kai off with Charlie and being home alone didn't sound like much fun. Hanging out with Denae did sound like fun. She and I went and saw The Duchess. It was pretty good. Then on Saturday my mom and I went to the Provo temple. It was so nice to go and feel peace. I never really liked the Provo temple. I thought it was a little outdated. But since I have started attending there I have grown to love it! I guess it really is whats on the inside that counts.

After our temple trip we went to lunch and then hit the mall...ahh unfortunately, neither of us were really in a shopping mood. Isn't that unfair?! I get to go to the mall without my crazy little boy and I don't want to shop! So we went and saw HSM3 again...I got the crazy love of all things musical gene from her! I remember as a little girl on the drive home from visiting my grandparents in Idaho we would be singing show tunes at the top of our lungs. Oh, how the boys loved it!!!

Well, that was my week in review again. Sorry it was kind of boring. Maybe I will think of something zanny to do this week...Hmmm.

Deja Vu

2008-11-09T14:46:00.007-07:00

Well, I went to my blog today and lo and behold it has been a week since I posted last. Hmm interesting since I said I was going to do better. That got me thinking about my week and I realized that this has been a week of repeats. To start with I got put on call for both of my shifts this week...same as last week. This has been a little frustrating. Charlie has been my lifesaver. He gave me our allotment (so I could pay the mortgage! YAY!) and his first paycheck for the month which was bigger than usual due to his annual clothing allowance. I also got my check which wasn't huge because I only had 2 shifts on there but it was big enough. So bills are paid as of now and I am hoping that this week will be a little better for hours...that or I won't get a check at all! I did finally get a hold of Human Resources and applied for the full time position. I will start that on the 18th so no more worries about hours...I hope. I did have to take a HUGE pay cut. That hurt a little but I suppose the benefits are worth it.

Second repeat of the week. I finished reading Twilight again. I know! For someone who kicked so furiously against the trend I sure have embraced the series. I owe everyone an apology for all my whining about it. You were right! I was wrong! Good books and hopefully good movie. I think that I enjoyed it even more the second time around. I wasn't so wraped up in the action and was able to focus on relationships and such. Maybe I should put this much effort into my real life. I might even get out of the house a little with an attitude like that.

Third repeat. I have decided to start work in the basement again. The little extra cash in my bank account (thanks again Char!) and the fact that half my house was unusable finally pushed me to do it! My mom, Kai and I have spent many a night this week covered in paint. She is the GREATEST mom in the world! I am so truly blessed to have my best friend as my mom...it helps when I have to call in free babysitting...not that she has had to do a lot of that lately with the lack of working hours. But, we have made MAJOR progress. The walls and doors are all painted. I bought trim yesterday and Wyatt is picking that up today for me in his truck. Proper planning was not evident when I showed up at Home Depot last night to get the trim and realized that 12 feet of board will NOT fit in my van...interesting. He is going to help me out today and tomorrow on his day off. What an amazing family I have! Heavenly Father must have realized that I would need a LOT of help down here. I am determined to have a party when it is all done. I think I will shoot for a Christmas party!

Fourth repeat...kind of. So with all the painting and not working and reading Kai has been pretty housebound so my mom and I decided to take a night off and go to Madagascar 2 on Friday. He did pretty well. He really enjoyed the music and more than once was up in the aisle dancing...guess he likes to move it move it too!

I did have a few firsts this week. I got to celebrate Christin and Stephanie's birthdays with them and other coworkers at Pizza Factory. I had a lot of fun. I also threw the diet out the window. Though, this whole throwing diet out the window thing isn't new to me, cheating on the 11 Day Diet was. I have been very vigilant for 3 rotations but this one was just not happening. Ask Maureen who watched me snarf down Fetuccini Alfredo for lunch. I think it has to do with monthly timing...hehe. Yeah, I am definately going to blame it on that! But, it is a GOOD diet and it has been working so I am going to rededicate myself...just going to take a little break before.

Yesterday we were getting ready to run to Home Depot when Malakai started panicing and talking about his "tiny baby" that we were forgetting. I had no idea what he was talking about. We went upstairs to try and find this elusive baby and he picked up the monkey and baby tiger. Apparently, they are now his "tiny babies." He wrapped them in blankets and we all took off to the store. He even took them to bed with him last night. This morning we got up and got ready to go to church. I thought that he had forgotten about them but as we were walking out the door he suddenly turned around and goes "Oh NO! My tiny babies are gone!" I couldn't help but snicker. I told him that his babies were still sleeping and we would wake them up when we got home for church. This is the one and only time that I am glad we have 9 o'clock church. The boy makes me laugh!

Well I'll Be...

2008-11-02T14:08:00.004-07:00

So an interesting thing happened last night at Walmart. Charlie had Malakai for the weekend and I had to go to Walmart to buy paint rollers. I realized this was the first time that I had been to Walmart without Kai since...well I can't remember so that tells you something. I thought I would take advantage of the time I had. I wandered to the women's department. I fully intended on taking my sweet time, strolling casually, holding things up that I thought were nice...maybe even trying something on. To my disappointment I was bored. I was not in a shopping mood. My first and last stop was a clearance rack where I picked up two sets of workout pants, held them up to see how long they were and made the fastest shopping decision I have ever made! $10 sure...why not?!

This is the weird part...I then walked back to the toy department!!! I know! I had no reason to go there. I took my sweet time in this department. I strolled casually through the aisles. I held up toys that I thought might be nice for Kai...I even tried the automated dinosaur out! I guess that just goes to show how priorities can change. Like they say you can take the kid away from the mom, but you can't take the mom out of the woman.

8 is Great

2008-11-02T13:17:00.005-07:00

So Denae tagged me on this. I tried to tell her that 2 is terrific but apparently that isn't as cute as 8 is great so here is my best attempt.

8 Favorite Restaraunts:

Applebees
Brick Oven
Cafe Rio
Zupas
Chili's
Hogi Yogi (Philly Cheese Steak...Yum!)
Wendy's
Wyatt and Lisa's on Sunday

8 Things that happened yesterday:

Slept in
Watched real TV (not Scooby)
Missed Kai Kai when I realized I wasn't watching Scooby
Got put on call at work
Went to Walmart and bought paint rollers and cute workout pants for $5! SCORE!!!
Ate Pizza (Diet starts again tomorrow...down about 15 pounds!)
Ate Ice cream and oreos (Yeah I am living up my 3 days off!)
Played Scrabble with Denae online (She won this time so we are all tied up 1:1)

8 Things I look forward to:

Watching Kai learn something new
Listening to Kai tell me about what he learned
Seeing how Kai reacts to being in trouble for learning something new and not ok with mom (for instance the toilet brush is not a good sword and should not be used to fight Tigers...plunger also falls into this category. Yes, kitchen chairs will help you climb onto the counters but mom said to stay down!)
When I actually work (going full time on Nov. 17th)
Wednesdays (My mom has them off so we get to hang and usually we have Brynlee too!)
Finishing the Book of Mormon (I am on 3 Nephi 20...the BEST part of the whole book!)
Having the divorce finalized (not because it ends something that was wonderful at times and brought me the best thing in this world, Malakai. But, because I will finally be able to think about something else.)
Falling in love again!

8 Favorite TV Shows:

Grey's Anatomy
ER
Samantha Who?
The Unit
Desperate Housewives
Ghost Whisperer
So You Think You Can Dance/American Idol (I LOVE these because I watch them with my family! That makes everything better.)
America's Next Top Model

8 Things I love about Fall:

The gorgeous scenery
The little nip in the air
Lisa's hot apple cider
Pumpkin as an ingredient (Mmm pie!)
Getting Kai ready for Halloween
Being around family for the Holidays
Snuggling up in a warm blanket with a cup of hot cocoa and a great book
General Conference

8 Things on my wishlist: This stupid question made me cry like a baby!

Charlie in a good happy place in his life.
My basement finished
Enough hours at work to keep my bank account sufficiently full to pay all the bills.
A strong testimony for Malakai to help him fight all the evil in this world.
My mom to outlive me! I don't think I could go on without her.
Someone who loves me for who I am and works with me to make our family celestial. Who finds as much joy in the gospel and in the temple as I do.
Another baby!
The dome light in my van to work.

4th Folder...4th Picture:

Kai on the Heimich Ride at Disneyland.

8 People I tag:

K so see here is the problem. I don't think that there are 8 people that actually read my blog. I blog for me and Kai and for my family. I guess this is my slacker way of keeping a scrapbook. But, I actually enjoyed doing this post. It made me think about my life and what was important to me. So, if any of you want to do this...great...I tag you!

HSM3

2008-11-01T01:50:00.002-06:00

Last night after Denae's girls were tucked into bed and Charlie had Kai, Denae and I went out to dinner and a movie. Denae has become my official date night person! I am warming up to the idea of real dating slowly. Just kidding. We decided that we would go see HSM3 mainly because we had seen all the other good movies (Remember our last date? 3 movies in 1 day!) I was curious as to how Disney managed to make 3 different films from the exact same storyline but from the very first moment of song and dance I knew I was going to love it! It was cheesey and innocent and made me smile. Picture a basketball court...16 minutes left in the championship game...East High Wildcats are behind...Cue music...Fade lights...Introduce dramatic tween love scene of Gabriella standing up in the crowd...single spotlight on her...pledging her belief in Troy. Yeah, it was pretty awesome!

I have since decided that life would be a lot funner if it were a musical! I can just imagine...well, I will spare you all my glorious voice and will not narrate my life in song, unless it is in my car or shower then all bets are off!

Trick or Treat?

2008-11-01T01:41:00.008-06:00

As a kid I enjoyed Halloween because of the candy and my giant sweet tooth. As I sit here and reminisce I realize it has been an exciting day in my past. I remember the one year when Trent was just little (I think maybe 3-4?) and was a GI Joe. He was so excited that he ran across the street and ran SMACK into a dark blue minivan! The van had seen him and was virtually stopped but he still plowed head long into it. Good thing he was wearing that cheap plastic helmet otherwise he might have had some permanent brain damage...hey wait, I wonder if that is why...Just kidding!

Then there was my senior year when I was dating Michael Chatterton. A couple of my girlfriends and I dressed up and went over to his house for a party. I was a very lovely Tinkerbell. He lived in Lindon and the streets had a lot of really deep dips. I of course, was driving my awesome 1981 Nissan Pulsar and took a dip too fast. I ripped off my muffler, of course I didn't rip it off all the way, that would have been too easy. I just ripped off the front end so that as I drove it would drag on the street. Nothing announces your arrival like a car without a muffler and the grating of the metal muffler on the ground. So being the resourceful girl that I am I climbed under my car and tied the muffler back up with my tinkerbell belt! Mike was sweet enough to take the muffler off all the way when I got to his house. That was a noisy ride home!

After that year Halloween kind of lost its appeal. I was in college and then married. So it was fun to be able to get excited again for Kai. This is our conversation yesterday:

Me: Kai Kai! Today is Halloween. What are you going to say today?
Kai: I'm Scooby Doo!
Me: Yeah...you are going to be Scooby but you need to say Trick or Treat. Can you say that?
Kai: NO! I AM SCOOBY DOO!
Me: K Whatever.

We have had his Scooby costume for a couple weeks and I think he has worn it about 8 times so it was no trouble getting him into costume. I was another story. For Christin's Halloween party Denae and I were Marines. I asked Denae what the plan was and she said Sexy soldier and Maureen was being a sexy cop. I wanted to fall back to my previous plan and go as a nurse but I thought well if they are going to be silly then I will too...hence the sexy nurse! Or atleast, my attempt at sexy. I don't do sexy nearly as well as I do clumsy and awkward.

I am wearing half the clothes that I graduated nursing school in. The cap is really my nursing cap from graduation as is the top. The skirt I bought online to wear to graduation but when I tried it on it was WAY too big so I wore pants. Yesterday I pulled the skirt up over my boobs and wore it as a dress with my tank top over top. It really was that long!

Malakai had a great time hanging out with his "girls". Aren't they adorable? I will readily admit that Bailey is a much cuter Tinkerbell than I ever was.

Kai did really well walking but after a while he got tired and hot. It didn't help that I dressed him in a sweatshirt and then his polyester Scooby costume. He has a paranoid mom that is always cold!

This is him taking off his Scooby hood and telling me his hair is wet. I told him it was just sweat and it would dry...he was not so sure that was ok.

Kai made a pretty good haul. I have already eaten all his little candy bars. Good thing he likes suckers (they must have been on sale somewhere because everybody was handing them out). This is him sitting on a swinging porch bench in front of Denae's uncle's store checking out his loot.

He settled on Skittles! Then he spilled most of them on the ground. Quick...10 second rule!

I thought this was hilarious! He saw this mask at the craft store and wanted to try it on...Yeah sometimes he can be a little demon but I love him all the same!

*Special thanks to Denae for pictures of yesterday! Love you!

Carving pumpkins...or something

2008-10-30T22:02:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago my mom and I took the kids to the pumpkin patch behind the county jail and let them get pumpkins. Kai's pumpkin has sat on our front porch untouched until tonight when I got put on call at work and was so bored even being crafty sounded good. So, we pulled out the old towels, stripped off Kai's clothes and got down to business. I knew that I couldn't trust him with a knife (Go ahead and give me Mother of the Year right now) so we opted for finger paints. I thought that he would really enjoy taking out the seeds and inside of the pumpkin, after all that is a very messy job and my son has never been one to worry about being dirty. But, he wasn't too interested and let me do the dirty work.

Don't worry though, he got his hands, tummy, legs, arms, kitchen floor and walls messy when it came time to paint. Thank heavens I am a smart mommy who used washable paint.

After the bath, which he really needed we put his super man pj's on. I heard him giggling on the stairs and went to see what he was doing. He goes "Look mommy! I am flying!" and then slid down the stairs on his tummy. He makes me laugh!

In Case You Are Interested...

2008-10-30T21:36:00.002-06:00

Twilight: The Movie

2008-10-30T15:10:00.003-06:00

Well, the movie comes out on November 21st. I have mixed emotions about this. You know how sometimes you love a book and then you see the movie and it kind of ruins it for you? Well, that is what I am afraid will happen this time. I have seen the trailers and I get where they are going with it but here is my problem...The Edward is not gorgeous, Rosalie isn't a natural blonde or the most beautiful girl in the world and Emmett isn't big enough! Yeah, I know small stuff. I was really frustrated with this right after I read the books but the more I look at the pictures and the closer it gets the more ok I become with the situation. So, I am going to go see the movie. I am going to have an open mind and I am going to enjoy it! That's my resolve.

Update: I just talked to Denae and we now are getting tickets to see Twilight at midnight on the 20th. OK...maybe I am a little excited!

Blogger Slacker!

2008-10-27T11:43:00.004-06:00

Ok so I have been a blogger slacker. A lesser person would come up with various excuses as to why they have not blogged in over a week. But not me! Nope, I am going to own it! I have been slacking. So since we have established that I am big enough to admit that I have been slacking here is what my excuses would have been had I not been such a big person:

1) In the last 2 weeks I have read all 4 of the Twilight books and what is available on the internet of Midnight Sun. I know my earlier post said that I was hoping for one of them to get hit by a bus and no that didn't happen although, Bella does almost get flattened by a van. I couldn't believe how VERY much I enjoyed them. No need to panic though. I don't think that I am obssessed. I will not be sending Twilight flair to you all on Facebook or running to the nearest kiosk at the mall to pad my wardrobe with pro Edward shirts and socks. I enjoyed the simple love story, the easy reading and even gasp! the romance. I loved the way the writter described a simple touch or kiss...it made me smile and remember the early days of love. It even made me think a little about the future (No, I don't see a stunningly beautiful vampire in it but, maybe another first kiss!). That idea makes me hyperventilate a little!!! These books were a great escape for me, eventhough I think Kai watched a little too much Scooby Doo as I escaped.

2) I got the divorce stipulation from my lawyer which lead to several INTENSE conversations with Charlie. These conversations did not leave me exactly warm and fuzzy or in the mood to see, talk or breathe around another human being! So, that lead me very easily back to excuse #1! After some compromises the stipulation has been signed and is awaiting the judges approval as I type.

3) We got to watch Brynlee a lot this week! It was very fun having that sweet little girl around. She is so easy to watch and Kai just adores her. On Monday I had to run to Target to change his Halloween costume for a bigger size and Lisa met us there to pick up Brynlee. As soon as she opened the van door Kai started crying and said "No! My baby! My Brynee!" Yeah, I think he is in love!

4) I went to the doctor on Thursday to get the results of my colposcopy. Everything is fine! I wasn't terribly worried but you know anytime anything is abnormal it makes ya a little nervous. HOORAY for not having cancer! I just have cervixitis. The doctor says it mostly happens from having intercourse before the test... Awkward pause followed by slightly hysterical laughing and then profuse apologies to the doctor...Hmm any other causes cause that is NOT the case here!?

5) On Saturday I decided that I had had enough sulking and I needed to get out. Thankfully, Denae was feeling the same way! So we got dressed up in some of Charlie's old cammies and went to Christin's Halloween party. We were glad we were able to be there and represent 6th floor! We had a good time playing games, competing to see who the least coordinated person was on Dance Dance Revolution and having a psychic read our cards. Apparently, I am destined to be poor and depressed...I did not need a psychic to tell me that! I believe that is called Divorce! It was interesting to hear the things she had to say. I still think that I will trust my path to a more omniscient and comforting source. But, it was fun none the less.

My camera has been acting up. I think I need a new battery but here is the one picture that I got of Denae. We both wore cammies so just envision my face over hers. I asked Kai how I looked and he smiled and said "Perfect!" I must be teaching him good.

6) My mom bought Kai Kai foam swords at the dollar store and ever since whatever free time I had after everything else has been spent fighting imaginary tigers, dragons and various monsters on Scooby Doo!

This has been my life. It wasn't a particularly bad week, just an antisocial week. I will get my camera fixed and try harder this week. I promise!

Conflicted

2008-10-16T22:58:00.003-06:00

Another round of the 11 day diet has come to a close and though my clothes are fitting looser I still wouldn't feel completely satisfied until I see those numbers drop on the scale. So, it was with a light and slightly anxious heart that I stopped at the gym on the way home for my weigh in. I walked in and....gasp! They changed the scale! What?! But the old one was calibrated...is this one the same? Oh the frustration. OK so I take off my shoes (they were heavy high heels) and step gingerly onto the new scale...down 3 lbs! Ok not exactly the ground breaking results I had hoped for. Now I am miffed at the gym and the new EVIL scale.

I drive home angry at whoever changed the scale. In my head I am concocting situations in which a very fat person stood on the scale and broke it and that is why the gym would do something like change the scale on me. Hmm I think, I have a scale at home. Now that I don't trust the gym anymore maybe I should start using that scale. It would be more convinient. OK so I am home now and I go upstairs. I set my home scale on the ground and step onto it again...silently praying that this is an angel scale and wasn't sent by the devil like the one at the gym! 11 lbs! Yes! That is better...wait....the euphoria is ending....confusion is setting in...8 lbs difference? Hmm which scale to believe? I am not sure but I am going to start using the home scale from now on (you know 'cause it was nice and said I weighed less just like a good friend should do).

So this update on the Battle of the Bulge is a toss up: if you are a pesimist you may side with the evil gym scale and believe I only lost 3 lbs. If you are an optimist and want to live to see tomorrow you will side with me and the home scale and report a record weight loss of 11 lbs! In any case, I am starting again on Monday so on the 31st I hopefully will have a more exact update.

Faith

2008-10-16T12:20:00.003-06:00

"And now as I said concerning Faith- faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true. And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word." Alma 32:21-22

I have felt like the last couple of days have been a true test of my faith and yet the amazing part is that each time I have been tested or pushed and I have called upon God, He has answered me and strengthened my faith. I have seen His hand cover and protect me. He has guided my heart and my mind and I pray that as I start this next phase in my life that He will give me the same inspiration.

Twilight

2008-10-13T23:00:00.004-06:00

Well, I am reading Twilight.

I know that I am a bit behind the major trend but like most things I had to wait for Denae to introduce it to me. Denae blogs so I start a blog. Denae is on Facebook so I join Facebook. Denae loves Twilight so...I take my time reading really long boring books about the Revolutionary War. Denae has been telling me for months that I should stop reading Prelude to Glory which I complained about often and start reading Twilight, but I just couldn't stop in the middle of book five. I felt like a failure and honestly, a little bit of a traitor. So I stuck it out. I persevered and finally finished the fifth book just 2 weeks over due to the library. This book only took me 8 weeks to read, just four more books in the series to go. OK, do the math...that is 8 months! No way can I read about the British and the pesky rabble rousers aka the Americans for the next year. So I started reading Twilight. Now I have been opposed to reading this because I have not been exactly thrilled about reading about young, beautiful star crossed lovers even if one is a vampire. A friend told me that she liked the books because it gave her hope about love. If this mortal girl and vampire could make it with all their differences, then anyone could. Well, that was not the bait that was going to hook me. After all, I live in my life where this mortal girl and her Marine couldn't even make it and we both have pulses. So as I cracked the cover open I had a silent prayer in my heart that maybe one of them would get hit by a bus!

Well, I am now about 1/3 of the way through it and there has been no tragic bus accidents...but I have enjoyed it. I didn't think that I would. And though, I don't have a new outlook on love it has been fun to read about these two young people and the awkwardness that surrounds them. I have a feeling that awkwardness will be abounding on many of my future dates. And an added bonus, I don't think that anyone will get shot by a 0.75 caliber lead ball coming from a British musket or that I will have it narrated by my very bad British accent in my head. "Eh, who goes 'er?" Yeah it even sounds Canadian to me. Here's to hoping!

Oooh Sugar, sugar!

2008-10-13T22:44:00.002-06:00

So for a long time I have known that my child loves the pure white stuff, the addictive drug that is sugar. He wakes up in the morning and asks for a "teat mommy?" During the summer he considered a a popsicle in each hand a balanced breakfast. Potty training went relatively well as long as the treat jar was filled with Hershey's mini candy bars. Yes, my child inherited my weakness, a sweet tooth. Well, it has finally gotten out of hand. My mom keeps her sugar and flour for baking in large drawers in her kitchen. They are lined with tin bins that have sliding lids so the product is just dumped inside. Kai Kai has known for a long time that touching these drawers result in "Oh Bummer." This is mainly because he enjoys making a mess with the flour. Well tonight I was at my mom's house when Kai came over and opened the sugar drawer. I told him No and closed the drawer. He opened it again...ok "Oh Bummer, this is so sad. Looks like Kai needs a little alone time." Well, the sneaky little bugger out manuvered me as I went to grab him, he ducked around me and stuck his hand in the drawer coming up with sugar dusted fingers which he promptly thrust into his mouth..."Mmmm Nummy! It's good!" My mom and I just laughed. So much for the Oh bummer. I agreed, sugar is good but it is bad for your teeth. I washed his hands and face and sent him back to the couch to watch Scooby while my mom and I finished dinner. A few minutes later Kai walked back into the kitchen. I heard the drawer open. "Oh bummer, who is getting into the sugar?" Bummer should have been the trigger word, I am sure in the parenting book the model child would have closed the drawer and walked sheepishly out of the kitchen. My child? He answered "Kai Kai!" and emerged with a small handful of sugar which went immediately into his mouth. Hmm, I think we have a hardcore habit developing.

Cornbelly's

2008-10-09T00:11:00.008-06:00

The kids are back in town for a couple of weeks which means that we get to do lots of fun and exciting things like...

going to CORNBELLY'S!!! I always have had sneaking suspicions that these kids were animals. Mine really could have been raised in a barn.

Although, this picture is very deceiving. He is the most melancholy little horse but I swear as soon as I was done taking pictures he ran off like I had given him 3 cans of Coke...which I had not!

Sabina looks like a sheep that really did get its head stuck in a fence! She just cracks me up. She can be so serious sometimes.

I was so surprised at the number of things there were to do there. Kai was just excited they had water. He and water go together like...well like a fish to water.

I think whoever runs Cornbelly's must be a blogger because there were photo ops everywhere! They also have these great little wagons that are free! I mean come on, even the mall charges!

Of course, Kai had to show off his Heman strength.

That lasted for about 3 minutes before mommy convinced him to climb in and hold onto Brynlee. She was standing up and wouldn't sit down. He loves that little girl so much and would do anything to help her.

We went through the kiddie maze. I am going to claim that that was because the kids needed it but to be honest Lisa said that she got lost in the big maze last year and we didn't want to run the risk.

Good thing too because Kai was the one leading! He did find this dead end and was confused as to why I told him we couldn't go that way. Sabina is not insisting we go this route. In fact, she is explaining how this is a short cut and if we took it we would be cheating. Again, she cracks me up. Malakai looks like that is exactly what he has in mind...short cut you say?

This picture just made me laugh! The look on his face is kind of like the one his dad had on his face when he slammed my van into the back of the car in front of us on I 15 and caused a 5 car pile up. Of course, if Kai does that in 14 years I probably won't find this look so cute.

These tire swings were cute but not very stable of comfortable. I am on a horse, Kai is on a moose.

I think that it is appropriate that when you are sitting on a cow you say "MOO" not "cheese" when you are getting your picture taken! So this is all of us saying "MOO!"

And again, she cracks me up!

They had diggers so that and the water pretty much made my kid THE happiest 2 year old in the world! Now, if only his arms were longer.

Oh, and bikes...yeah I think Kai was in love with Cornbelly's.

It is a little pricey to get in normally but Hogi Yogi has 2 for 1 coupons and 2 and under is free. So for the 6 of us (Grandma, mom, Sabina, Trevor, Kai and Brynlee) it was only $20. If the weather stays warm I think I will take Kai back...I have more 2 for 1 coupons. Who wants to be my #2?!

Who loves you?

2008-10-07T02:59:00.003-06:00

Charlie had Malakai this weekend and though I was grateful for the break I missed that little bugger. Kind of funny how when they are around you just want a break but when they are gone you just can't wait until they are back. Well, on Sunday night after prayers had been said and scriptures read I tucked him in and told him I loved him. He looked at me and I said, "Kai, who loves you?" I thought he would say mommy, but instead without hesitation he answered, "Jesus!" I smiled and said, "Yep, He sure does."

This morning when he woke up I thought I would try again.

"Kai, who loves you?"

"Jesus!"

"Who else?"

Looking at me strangely like I already answered you mom, "Jesus!"

OK thank you nursery leaders!

So, later that afternoon with my mom after I have told her all about it and how cute he is.

"Kai who loves you?"

"Dump Truck!"

"What?! No, Jesus remember...ok one more time. Who else loves you?"

"Mommy!"

"OK good enough!" I will take it!

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes

2008-10-05T02:04:00.007-06:00

Charlie's grandma lived in Kanab for many years and he spent a lot of time down there as a kid. So, I had heard good things about the Coral Pink Sand Dunes and thought that we should check them out. They were only 11 miles from our hotel room. And unlike the Grand Canyon I didn't care if Kai ran crazy here. The sand was so soft. We kicked off our shoes, rolled up our pants and had a blast. It felt like you were walking on a beach only there was no ocean.

It was pretty amazing to see things like this beautiful flower blossoming in the middle of a sand dune.

Kai just loved rolling in the sand. He had sand everywhere, mouth, ears, pockets, hair.

The coolest thing about the Dunes is that there is this area up front for walking and playing that has a lot of greenery mixed in and then farther back there is an area that is all just dune after dune that can be used by off road vehicles. There was one dune in particular that drew our attention. It was the tallest one and it beckoned to be climbed and rolled down. So, this is how we started off...hand in hand.

And this is how we ended up half way up the dune!

Nothing like a 30 lb pack and a giant sand dune to show you how very out of shape you are!

But...HOORAY!!! We made it!

Now the fun part. Going down!

Kai took the head first approach, which I applaud. I chose the much more boring and safer method of running down the dune.

This is us resting after our long hike up the dune. Apparently, after virtually swimming in the sand Kai decided that now he wants nothing to do with it and mommy makes a much better seat.

See our red faces? It was warm that day and even hotter after lugging him up that hill.

I know, buds. Time to head back to the car. Darndest thing! I don't remember the car being so far away on our walk out to the dune!

Interestingly, the sand does not look pink at all. More of a sand dune orange. Hmm.

The Grand Canyon

2008-10-05T01:55:00.013-06:00

We left Phoenix about noon on Tuesday for our drive home. We knew that we would not have a lot of time but being so close to the Grand Canyon we had to stop and see. I have been to Moab and Arches and Bryces but I had never been to the Grand Canyon. I had a vision in my mind of what I thought it would be. To say the least, that vision did not do the Canyon any justice. The views were like nothing I had ever seen. They were absolutely breath taking. Sadly, my pictures don't show the magnificence of it very well. When I looked at it I couldn't help but think that no river could have done this. No matter how many scientists try to dispel God, one look at this proves His existence. My mom and I were discussing this topic and she told me that a professor at BYU believes that the canyon was formed when Christ was crucified. I totally believe this could be the case.

Despite all the grandeur my mom was a mess. I don't think that these signs helped. Just replace the little white man with my little white boy and you can guess why she was so nervous.

So this was the highest that we let Malakai get on his own. Notice that grandma is still holding onto his leg. I love you mom and I love that you love Kai so much! I don't know what I would do without you...probably let Kai fall into the Grand Canyon.

This is a picture of a giant ugly bird that is in the visitors center. Kai was running everywhere and I needed something to keep him focused for a minute while grandma figured out where we were going so I showed him the giant bird. He really wasn't impressed. He did however, like to run on the edge of the window. Score one for mom!

We decided that the best thing for us to do after watching Kai run along the 2 foot window sill and both of us envisioning the thousand foot drop into the Canyon was to just get out of dodge and let him swim at the hotel. But, then we saw that the last stop before you leave the park was this old tower so we thought ok let's give it a shot.

This was the view. Unbelievable! The river winding along the bottom of the canyon thousands of feet below, the sun setting the red rocks on fire, the stir crazy two year old who couldn't believe that we wouldn't put him down!

My salvation came in the form of telescopes! The boy loves them. You can't see a darn thing out of them but that didn't stop him. He was telling us all about the things he was seeing, the river, people and as you can see in the movie clip the sun.

On the way to the tower and back to the car he had fun walking on these big rocks. My kid is definately a climber.

I saw this sign and just knew that it had to go on my blog. We had a wonderful time. Maybe in a few years we will venture back this time with some sort of tether for him.

We left the park around 7:30pm Arizona time and thought we better call the hotel which was just north of Kanab and let them know that we would be late checking in. Brittney answered the phone and informed us that we were facing a 5 hour drive! So, just for your information from the Grand Canyon to Kanab it is about 2 hours...and don't listen to ditsy girls named Brittney from Carmel Junction. Oh I also got to see Lake Powell...well kind of. It was about 10:30 at night. I have to say that giant black abyss really did not live up to all the hype! I am thinking about going back next summer, this time during the day. Any takers?

I Love to See the Temple!

2008-10-05T01:47:00.006-06:00

Sunday afternoon found mom, Jeremy and I with 5 very restless kids, 3 of which were in desperate need of naps. Chrystina and Jeremy have been doing a great job of teaching their kids that Sunday is a special day full of rest (feel free to snicker when you think of Trevor resting) and quiet (again I pause for you all to reflect on our very quiet 3 year old). So I suggested that mom and I take the 3 older kids to see the Mesa Temple. I have often thought about how very blessed we are here in Utah to have so many temples so close to us and how just driving on I 15 from Salt Lake to Provo you can see 5 different temples. Jeremy and Chrystina are also fortunate to live very close to the Mesa temple and the sight of the new Gilbert temple. The Mesa temple is beautiful. It has a very different look than the temples here in Utah, but the feeling is the same. I love the peace that exudes from the temple and the calmness that comes to my heart.

Sometimes though, that peace can have a hard time overcoming the draw that water has to 2 and 3 year olds. I am not sure if the person who thought water features were a good idea had small children.

This is a picture of Malakai after being chastized for playing in the water and getting all wet. The water would flow gently from the top pool across the barrier and into the bottom pool and as the picture above clearly shows, Kai is leaning right against the barrier.

This petrified log was donated to the church. I am not sure why the church would need a giant petrified log but I suppose that that goes under the rule that we give the church all that we have: our time, talents and uh petrified logs.

My mom and I were curious as to why the trunks of the trees were painted white. We wondered if they were just trying to make the trees more holy but Jeremy told us that it is a protection against bugs. In either case, they looked very pretty.

As we walked the beautiful grounds of the Holy temple Sabina asked, "Why did we come to see the temple?" Before I could say anything Trevor answered, "I love to see the temple. I'll go inside someday to feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray. That's why Sabina." I don't think that I could have said it better. I am so awed by these little spirits that God is sending down. I pray that I might have the same simple beautiful faith of those 3 little children.

Updated Posts

2008-10-05T01:45:00.000-06:00

I have finally updated the posts The Family That Plays Together and We Made It! They now have pictures and some new text. So, go ahead and take another quick look!

We Made It!

2008-09-25T00:20:00.012-06:00

Well, after several long hours in the van we finally made it to HOT sunny Phoenix! We left on Monday night about 8:30pm...you know right on schedule according the the standard Bingham clock that I have built in that makes us leave for any major event 3 hours late. I also had the Holiday Scheduling meeting at work to thank for putting us behind schedule. Oh well, atleast I am positive I am not working Thanksgiving or Christmas (Interesting note: I just got my schedule for the holidays and YES, I AM working Christmas! I am not quite sure why I even bothered going to the meeting). We drove as far as St. George and stopped for the night in the nicest Motel 6 I have ever seen. I swear the bed was almost as comfortable as my own at home! The next morning we woke up late, we figured it would be the last time we got to sleep in on the trip, Trevor has a built in alarm clock for 6:30 am! Kai wanted waffles and convineintly there was a Denny's right down the hill.

Of course, his favorite part of the whole meal was the whipped cream. Who needs utensils?!

We also stopped at the top of the Hoover Dam.

I had never been there and it had been many many years since my mom was there.

It was really pretty amazing! I am always awed when I think that as human being we are capable of building such things. The most amazing part though, is the new freeway bridge that they are building across the river. You can see it a little if you look to the left of the telescope in the picture below.

Kai thought the most amazing part was the telescope!

I think the whole trip took us about 10 hours. I am always reminded of how much I LOVE my van, even if it isn't cool, when we take long trips. We had plenty of room for luggage, a stroller, Kai's Vroom Vroom (he insisted it had to come) and anything else I could think of. I was also glad that I took the time Monday afternoon to go get the DVD player replaced! Kai watched Scooby Doo about 13 times and not once did the new player make that annoying clackity clack noise. Although, around the 7th time I started making some interesting noises! Seriously, Daphne is that annoying!

The kids were glad to see us. We were thrilled to see them.

The twins have gotten so big. Seems so strange to think they are going to be 1 year old this month!

Penner is such a sweetie! He was my cuddle bug. I would worry that we had spoiled him but Chrystina assured us that she spends most her day holding him too. He just wants to be with ya.

Gabby on the other hand, was very happy playing with Kai Kai. Honestly, would you turn down free digger rides? Well, maybe you would if the driver wasn't wearing pants!

Kai just loved helping grandma make brownies. I liked helping eat them!

Their new house is beautiful. We especially enjoyed the swimming pool. It helped us keep cool on those 100+ degree days.

Gabby likes her purple hippo once she warms up to it. She takes a little more convincing to get in the pool than Penner does. That boy is a fish just like his older brother!

One wouldn't think that you wouldn't have to worry about traffic jams in a swimming pool but with Kai behimd the wheel anything is possible.

Oh How They Laughed...

2008-09-24T23:24:00.003-06:00

So remember everyone at work who laughed because I couldn't eat pizza that night because it was my fruit day? Well, here ya go! I weighed myself at the end of my 11 Day Diet and guess what?! 10 Pounds Baby!!! I couldn't believe it. I am so proud of myself! That's all this post is...unadulterated, completely selfish, vanity at its very best, pat myself on the back, as London on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody would say "Yay Me!", Super girl power, I'm gonna fit into my skinny jeans, eat your heart out Charlie Bragging!

The Family That Plays Together...

2008-09-24T23:07:00.007-06:00

On Saturday I had the chance to hang out with some of the most wonderful people I know, my family! I have been blessed with a really great extended family and we are all really close. Some of us though, are closer than others. My mom and her brother married a brother and sister so I have double cousins. Makes it really nice at family reunions. Well, I got up early on Saturday morning, loaded Kai still in his pj's (it was that early) into the van, picked up my mom and brother Chris and headed up to the salt flats for an exciting day of motorcycling and 4 wheeling. We all met in Tremonton and carpooled up to Kelton. It started out a little rainy but soon the clouds cleared and we enjoyed a beautiful early fall day.

Kai totally loved the 4 wheeler. He sat in front of me and held on to the gas tank for the first half of the ride. After that he decided that he had had enough of a lesson and was ready to take control. He not so subtly pushed my hand off the throttle and said "do it myself!" He then would give it all he could and we would be off like a bullet! Only scared the daylights out of me when we were approaching jumps. I was a pansy and didn't try my hand on a motorbike. The last time I think I was on one was when I was 14...we had a very abrupt ending to our relationship. I ran into a church house on my grandpa's bike. That is how I got the scar on my chin. I still hold my cousin responsible! Just kidding, Amy!

Any ways, there was a little 70 there, that was probably about my speed but I stayed with the 4 wheeler. Must be my old age kicking in...something nice about 4 wheels on the ground.

It was nice having Chris as my riding partner. With his bad back we were both pansies! So nice not to be left in the dust all alone.

While Chris and I were out being oh so very adventurous Malakai got to know the new "sister" in the family Saddie. My Grandparents have had two mini dachshunds, Sabrina and Savannah for a very long time. Not too long ago though, Savannah died. It was very hard on my grandma because they are her babies. We have often laughed and referred to them as the "other siblings." So, grandpa went out and got another puppy. She is awfully cute but Malakai quickly lost interest. After all, we did bring his digger!

And of course, there was also the food to distract him. He was totally into this giant chocolate muffin.

The rest of us chowed down on deli sandwhiches, veggies and fresh fruit. Who knew a trailor could also double as kitchen and dinning room?!

By the end of the day Kai was just about ready to drop but we figured he better get one last ride in. This is exactly how he came back from the ride!

Apparently, this is how Brenda puts kids to bed! I guess it must run in the family because my grandpa used to put my aunt Angalee to sleep by taking her on motorcycle rides.

We had a great time! I can't wait until the spring ride.

Scooby Dooby Doo

2008-09-19T13:31:00.008-06:00

We have a new obsession at our house. Malakai is now totally and completely in love with Scooby Doo. He watches it all the time. It has even usurped My Friends Tigger and Pooh! I know, I didn't think I would see the day. He asks for Scooby Doo all the time, in the van, before his nap, at bedtime. I can't complain a whole lot though. Scooby Doo did keep him busy for like 3 hours this morning while I slept. He only woke me up to tell me "more Scooby Doo" or to open his two Popsicles that he had for breakfast. Very nutritious! Oh but when I did finally get up and wandered downstairs I found a package of hot dogs on the floor with three of them out. Apparently, he was still hungry.

This is kind of bad timing though. I just ordered 2 more sets of his favorite Pooh pajamas because I got tired of washing them everyday, and when they arrived today he could really have cared less. Does anyone know where I can get Scooby PJ's? Just kidding!

As Plain as the Nose on Your Face

2008-09-18T16:28:00.004-06:00

So this week has been interesting and busy and unfortunately there has not been a lot of exciting things to blog about. But, I am starting to feel like a blogging slaker so I will post about the boring mundane things in my life.

Update on the divorce issue: First and foremost, I owe an apology to my in laws and close friends that had to find out about our situation by reading my blog. I am so sorry. I know that was a terrible way to break the news. If feelings were hurt please know that I am sorry. It was not done intentionally, much thought has gone into this process and though I might not have talked to you personally I have thought much about you all and I am grateful for the support you give us. To be honest, this thing has kind of been like the sea, changing daily, ask my family and two best girlfriends! They are about sick of my indecision. So thank you for being there for us. Know that we love you and are grateful to have you in our lives and want you to continue to be in our lives, even if they are seperate. After all, we share the greatest thing in this world...Malakai!

My mom has grass. Well in about 6 weeks she will. Right now she has mulch and green slimy stuff. We (I use the term loosely, mainly she) have been working very hard these last couple of weeks to get her yard free of weeds and clumps and leveled (See Kai's 7th Heaven Post) so that the hydroseeding can be done. Well, it finally got done yesterday. I have spent a lot of time over there and to be honest blogging "Shoveled dirt again" for 3 days just seemed like a waste of good blogging space.

I went to the dermatologist! This was probably the most exciting thing that happened. About 4 years ago while we were living in 29 Palms I noticed this small bump on the tip of my nose. I thought that it was a zit but after several attempts to pop it and making it look much worse, I gave up and just let it be. Well, last year I asked my doctor about it and she gave me Valtrex thinking it was a wart (OK yes, insert all your she really is a witch jokes here) but it didn't work. So this year, knowing that I was going to lose the best insurance in the world and would have to start paying co pays I asked for a referral to a dermatologist. She sent me to see Dr. Eyre here in Spanish Fork. He is a great doctor, way nice. He said I had some sort of papiloma or adenoma...or uh...just a noma, I don't know! Sorry, the nurse in me is terribly ashamed! Anyways, he said that it is a relatively painless process to remove it he just "has to numb it first, which doesn't hurt," he says, "unless it is on the tip of your nose where all the nerves are." "What a coincidence!" I said rather sarcastically. But, the shot was not bad, kind of like popping a zit that isn't ready, that pinching sensation and about 2 minutes later he shaved off the bump. Now, I am left with a small crater that he assures me "will probably not scar." He also looked at the side of my nose, where I really did have a stress induced break out, and has decided not to heal for like 3 weeks. He said that it looked like maybe an infection (MRSA, but I will not own it! and he didn't culture it so nobody break out the isolation gowns quite yet!) and he gave me some cream to try. If it doesn't heal in 2 weeks I will go back and he will culture it. Honestly, this is day 2 on the cream and I think it already looks better. I wish that it would be that easy to get rid of the "bump" in the bridge of my nose. Oh well, maybe someday I will have a post about my trip to the plastic surgeon!!!

This has been my week. I work tonight and then we are off to ride motorcycles on Saturday and heading to Phoenix on Monday. So, stay posted. I promise more exciting things to come!

Kai's 7th Heaven!

2008-09-13T20:46:00.007-06:00

My mom had her lawn tilled today to get it ready for hydroseed and it got all these clumps of weeds and stuff in it. So she borrowed her home teachers 4 wheeler to pull a pallet around and break up the clods. Well, let's just say Kai LOVED it! But until I strike it rich he is going to have to settle for his little spiderman 4 wheeler and his Vroom Vroom!

Hey! I see you Momma!!!

A Whirlwind of Fun!

2008-09-12T11:58:00.013-06:00

This week has seemed like such a whirlwind, a fun wonderful whirlwind full of laughter and potty training and family and precious sweet moments with my Kai! I think it must be something in the air because as I read my friend's blogs I see that they are feeling the same wonderful feelings that autumn brings. Monday was a busy fun day. I got to go to the doctor for a yearly check up and since I couldn't find a sitter (thank you Charlie for being in Montana!) I got to take Kai Kai along...see starting out fun already! It really wasn't that bad. My doctor is so great and she has an awesome staff so they watched him out in the hall for the, uh more personal parts of the check up. After the doctor we went to Big O Tires and had them rotate my tires and check for the small wrench that Malakai dropped in the wheel the night before...it was there when we backed out, I could hear it clanking! They didn't find it though. They think it must have fallen out when we were driving. While they were working on the van Kai and I walked down to Carl's Jr. It was fun...he had the whole playland to himself and I could hear him wherever he went. Then we drove back over to the doctors office to watch the big trucks and diggers at the construction site across the street. Kai just can't get enough of those things! I had staff meeting that afternoon so I couldn't let Kai go to sleep yet so we went for a long walk, or I should say a short walk that lasted a long time! Those of you who have 2 year olds know how this happens.

This week I have been trying to slow down. I think potty training has done it. I am realizing how quickly Kai is growing up. I have been trying to not sweat the small stuff and just enjoy my kid! He is such a great little boy. Tuesday and Wednesday we got to watch Brynlee while Aunt Lisa was a work.

She is such a sweet little girl and she is so easy to love. She absolutely adores her cousin Malakai and I think that he reciprocates many of those feelings. It was so fun to watch the two of them play together.

Malakai wanted me to get in his big truck so he could push me. I told him that I was too big, but that he should try Titus (our cat). Sadly, Titus would not cooperate, but he did find someone who was more than happy to oblige him.

Don't worry! He was surprisingly gentle and pushed her only at a moderately fast speed slowing down significantly before they crashed into the walls! Brynlee was laughing the whole time! Ahh, so much like her dad (Hey, mom! I made my own zip line watch me jump off the roof!!!).

Brynlee even got a chance to play in Kai's bouncy house.

That night we went to the mall to window shop. Kai is not so big on that but he did love the penny machine! Best 18 cents I ever spent!

OK so I caved and acutally spent $1.68! I did let Kai ride the vroom vroom ride twice and the rocket ship once. He had been a good boy and stayed in his stroller (for the most part).

Just call him Luke Kaiwalker! He even makes the sound effects.

And finally on Wednesday we went grocery shopping. My mom helped chaparone. Between the two kids and the car cart that feels like you are pushing a life sized bus I was glad for the help and company.

Lower the Legal Driving Age?

2008-09-10T12:34:00.006-06:00

Step 1: Adjust seat for maximum comfort and viewing.

Step 2: Secure the seatbelt.

Step 3: Hands at 10 and 2 (If you can reach otherwise just hold on!)

Step 4: Curse the fact that you are 34" tall and can't reach the pedals!!!

This is my son. You know the one that loves anything with wheels and a motor. Well, he is a very fast learner. On Sunday we were at my brother's house having dinner. Afterwards, Grandma, Aunt Lisa and I were going to go for a drive to put Kai Kai to sleep only he beat me to the driver's side. This is pretty normal. He likes to pretend to drive so I let him only this time it was a little different. Before he got in he adjusted the seat, moving it as close to the steering wheel as possible. He then climbed in, put the keys in the ignition, turned my van on, put his seat belt on, looked at me (sitting in the passenger seat with the door open) and said, "Close door, please!" Then he reached up to the shifter and started pulling down. It was at this point that I said Whoa! No! No! I guess that ends the days of me leaving keys in the van or lying around. If in 4 years you read about a 6 year old and his 4 year old cousin that took a van for a joy ride, that will be Malakai and Brynlee! Yeah, I am so screwed!

A Pleasant Surprise!

2008-09-08T13:36:00.008-06:00

We had a really pleasant surprise this weekend. Chrystina's grandpa is in the hospital (Oh that sounds bad! That was NOT the pleasant surprise!!!). The pleasant surprise was that Chrystina and the twins came up for the weekend to visit him and we got to see them too. We have missed those little stinkers since they moved to Arizona.

They are getting so big. They have teeth now and Gabby has a new trick:

Yep, she stands all by herself! Penner can do it too, but he is such a busy boy that before too long he just sits down and crawls away. We did miss the rest of the family. I have not had a moments peace from Kai Kai. He was very confused as to why we were at Nana's house and Sabina was no where to be found. He does like his little cousins though. He even shared his potty treat sucker with them.

We can not wait for our trip to Phoenix!!! Two weeks go quick please!

Picture Tag!

2008-09-07T02:00:00.000-06:00

Tagged by Maureen! (Thanks!)
Read after the last picture to see if you've been tagged....The rules are you have to take 10 pictures of the following things and you have to do it right away. No straightening, cleaning or wiping your child's nose (I mean it!). Then you tag six others. OK so I got some strange looks from Charlie but, if I can do this you can too!

Kid: This is what Malakai is doing right now! Yes, at 2:00 am he is watching Pooh Bear! I never admitted to being mother of the year. I guess this is what happens when a night owl has a child! Read on to see why we are up at 2 am...ah the intrigue!

Bathroom: This is my master bath although, it is really the only bath that we use. Notice the potty stool? Kai is doing so well at potty training. Only 1 accident today! I am very proud of him but, I do wish that he wasn't such a busy kid. I think that would make it a lot easier to get him to actually sit or stand and pee alot easier.

Closet: Our closet is pretty small but then we also have a TON of stuff in there. I keep thinking that I am going to go through my clothes and give some to DI but then I look at it and think, "Well, I haven't worn this in 6 years but maybe I will or maybe when I lose that weight that I have been going to lose this will look good again." In any case, the closet remains. Although, I suppose in the very near future half of it will be vacant.

Shoes: My favorite pair of all time I think are these Dr. Shols sandals from Walmart. I got them like 4 years ago and I have worn them out. When I was pregnant with Malakai my feet got so big and swollen and these shoes fit and were very comfortable! I probably walked 100 miles in them trying to convince that kid to come out! Sadly, they are not wearable anymore...they are now work shoes.

Self Portrait: Ok I saw this one and I was like, "Are you kidding me?! It is 2 am"...but after a couple of shots I thought this one showed the real irritation well.

Laundry Room: YEAH! I am excited about this shot because...this is why we are all up at 2 am. Notice the tile?! Yes, it is all cut and set! When I got home about 9:30 Charlie had the tile all cut and we worked together (yes, that includes Kai Kai...that is why it took us so long!) and got them all set. Now, if I can just convince Aunt Lisa to come and show me how to grout. Oh yeah, I wore my favorite shoes while doing this and they are now covered in mortar. Thanks Kai Kai!

Kitchen Sink: So this is where the strange looks from Charlie come into play. I guess it did look kind of funny, me on a chair taking a picture of our sink, but I was just following the rules. Yes, those are his hands in the shot! Apparently, I was in the way.

Refrigerator: Yes, it is very empty! I know...I need to go grocery shopping. But, I HATE it! On the positive side there is a keeper full of apples, a box of white peaches and a crisper full of fresh vegetables from Great Grandma Puppy! The freezer is full of popsicles...just the way Kai Kai likes it!

Favorite Room: My favorite room has to be my bedroom. It is kind of like the hang out room. When we were looking for a new bedroom set Charlie told me that he wanted a bed big enough to play football with Kai on. Needless to say, my bed is rather large. Yet, somehow when the three of us were in it I always felt squished!

Kai and I spend a lot of snuggle time in that room. We watch Pooh together, we read scriptures on the bed. Yeah, it is a good room!

Dream Vacation: For me this was our trip to Disneyland in February. We had so much fun on that trip together as a family. It was the best thing that we could ever have done at that point in our lives! I will always look back on those pictures and memories and smile.

OK so the 6 people that I tag are: Lisa Bingham (HAHA now you have to blog!), Denae Holt, Kaylene Wells, Miranda Mcintosh, Stephanie Greenwood, and Alisha Oxley! Get to work! I will be checking your blogs!

So Much For My Happy Ending

2008-09-05T18:26:00.000-06:00

*Note: See my soundtrack and click on Avril Lavigne's My Happy Ending while reading this! That song pretty much sums up what I have to say about this...

So here it is for all the world to know because we have finally gotten to that point: Charlie and I are getting a divorce! We have fought to stay together for a year and it just isn't happening. There is too much between us, we want different things. I wish that I could change things. I wish I could pound some sense into him and make him see things my way, but he has made his choice and done things to solidify the decision. I have had my difficult times accepting this, one minute I am angry, the next I am crying, the next I am melancholy. Right now I am ok. I have an amazing support group of family and friends and I love you all for helping me through this and putting up with the violent mood swings!

I have often wondered why God was so insistent that I stay for this year. If He knew what Charlie was going to do with his agency then why didn't He just tell me to leave last September? Why the strong impression to stay? Well, I have now realized that I needed this year. I needed the therapy, the time to heal and learn to see Charlie with the slightest degree of Christlike love. I needed time to forgive. I needed to be able to do everything I could do to save my marriage so that I can look my sweet innocent little boy in the eyes and tell him I tried.

I am trying with the smallest steps to get my life moving forward again. There are still a lot of unknowns. But, there are many things that I am sure of. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. I know that if I continue to live my life according to His will that things will work out for me. I have faith that there is someone out there, someone who knows how special I am who will do all they can to be with me and our children for eternity!

One of the small steps to move forward was taken last night when I cleaned my wedding ring and put it away for good. That was a difficult moment. I love my ring! It is so beautiful! I thought about all the memories connected to it. I remember Charlie slipping it onto my finger in the sealing room of the Mt. Timpanogos temple after we were sealed for time and all eternity. I thought I would never take it off, and now I am left wondering what I do with it. Seems like such a shame to have it hidden away in a little black box. I think that Avril says it best when she sings:

You were all the things I thought I knew

And I thought we could be.

You were everything, everything that I wanted.

We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it

And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away

All this time you were pretending

So much for my happy ending.

Yay Kai Kai!!!

2008-09-05T17:51:00.000-06:00

This is a familiar refrain around my house today! Yes, Malakai has decided that he wants to do "potty tainin'" again! Hey what do I have to lose right? Apparently, a lot of time in the bathroom is what! Oh well, it has given me a great excuse to do absolutely nothing today. The day didn't start out as a potty training day but he woke up dry and he has been toying with the idea of being potty trained for the last couple of days. So I decided I would just do it! We have been setting the timer for every 30 min. and he has been pretty good about going. Denae should be laughing at this point because when I say pretty good I mean that I have tried every trick in my book to get him to go pee in the potty. We have had Titus watch him, Simone has watched him, Mommy has watched him, Mommy has gone first and then Kai Kai, Mommy has read books to Kai and in those books Tarzan has watched him, a crocodile has watched him, Mickey Mouse has watched him, I have bribed him with candy and suckers, and when he goes he gets LOTS of praise, hence the YAY Kai Kai (Yeah, hence!) but something must be working because he has had only had 1 accident and that was 1 min before our timer was set to go off! Everytime that Denae has called or talked to me Kai has been naked and the times that he wasn't naked he was only wearing underwear. Have I mentioned that I am glad we don't have a lot of unexpected neighbors dropping by?

Chuck E Cheese

2008-09-05T16:22:00.000-06:00

Last night I asked Malakai what we should do for the night. I had been lazy all day and we both needed to get out of the house. I gave him several options: park, movie, mama's house. He looked at me and said, "No momma! Girl's house!" I am sure later in life when he says that I will probably freak out. But, for now I know that he means Laira and Bailey, Denae's girls. Ok, lets go play with the girls...but not at their house! I have heard enough horror stories about Denae's mom that I don't need to meet her in person! So how about Chuck E Cheese?! After all, there is no better place for a kid to be a kid or for a mom to be a kid!

Denae I really think you should look at the height limit again! (She told me she would kill me if I put this picture on here but, I am not scared of her! Bring it on!)

This silly clock ride was Malakai's favorite ride. I think he rode on it like 6 times...

Or whenever Bailey wasn't on it! He and Bailey had it pretty monopolized for a good part of the night.

I am not sure if these two have taken hunters safety yet. I am pretty sure that over the shoulder is not how you are supposed to shoot a shotgun but Laira sure didn't care.

Where is a stepping stool when you really need one? He kept making this game go "VROOOOOM VROOOOOM!" I am not sure whether he thought it was a motorcycle or just wanted it to sound fast but he enjoyed it!

Ok yes, I am aware that pizza is not exactly diet friendly! We did have salad thanks to the girls...those two are frickin' rabbitts! I have never seen a 6 and 4 year old pass up pizza for salad before.

This was my favorite ride! I am pretty sure that if I had a vaccuum that strapped to my back I would never have a problem getting Kai Kai to do chores. I also liked that it was being held together with duct tape! Who knew Chuck E Cheese was a typical man?

I think June Clever would be appaled!

2008-09-04T21:56:00.000-06:00

You Belong in 1955

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

House Bunny

2008-09-03T01:23:00.001-06:00

I am a big fan of Anna Faris and was excited to see this movie! Denae and I promised that we wouldn't see it without each other. It was well worth the wait, this movie is hilarious! Ok, so no, I wouldn't take my grandma (maybe my mom), for heavens sake she is a playmate, but it was surprisingly clean and the jokes were genuinely funny! Ask Denae how hard I laughed about the "you should really go see an eye doctor. I did, that's kind of where the glasses came from" line. Anyways, if you liked the Hot Chick (one of my favorite movies) or other stuff that Anna Faris has been in I think you will like this movie. To be fair, there were some really sappy cheesey moments and you can call this movie pretty much from the beginning, but hey what did you expect from Happy Madison Productions?!

A Real Labor Day!

2008-09-03T00:46:00.000-06:00

My grandparents have lived in the same house for 50 years. It is a beautiful home full of memories and laughter, but like most things after 50 years it needed a facelift! So, the family came together this weekend and worked miracles. I wish that I had taken a before shot, but I didn't. But, when it is all done I will take an after picture. We put up new soffit and fascia, trim around windows and doors, and painted doors. My uncle Travis is having a new front door installed and shutters will be added to the windows.

Aunts, Uncles, cousins, grandkids, great grandson, we all pitched in.

I think some people wished little ones wouldn't have helped so much. There is just no accounting for taste so Kai and I spent a lot of time at the park! This truly was a labor of love and I think Grandma and Grandpa will over look the small blunders and dings and smile when they think about the eager volunteers!

It was quite the affair, but then my Grandma and Grandpa are so worth it! And in reality Grandma paid us back...we left with half her refrigerator and a good portion of the garden!

Rob

2008-09-03T00:38:00.000-06:00

The other night at work I was catching up on my blogging. Rob, a nurse on the floor, wanted to see it. So, I showed it to him. He was pretty impressed. All it was missing though, as he pointed out, was a picture of him. So, here ya go Rob! Now I think even he would have to agree it is perfect!

Free Ballin'

2008-08-26T16:06:00.001-06:00

We have been doing a very low key version of potty training at our house. It goes like this: Kai decides that he wants to get naked and then pretends it is because he wants to use the potty. So far he has gotten naked a lot and peed in the potty twice. Usually he will climb in the tub and want to take a bath or put a dry pull up on. He runs around in a pull up for a while and then we can put his clothes on. Well, today as I was washing dishes I hear him come in on his digger, a very common occurence. Only this time, well let's just say that is one way to tote your balls!

Dad's Big Helper

2008-08-26T16:05:00.001-06:00

Kai has always loved tools! He thinks screw drivers and wrenches are the greates things in the world, and if I let him he will "fix" anything for Mom. So you can only imagine how excited he was that Dad was fixing his Vroom vroom. (Note: He was more excited than Mom was!)

Good thing he had someone supervising the repairs.

A Pooh Bear Problem

2008-08-26T16:00:00.000-06:00

I love Denae! She turned me onto this great site. http://www.disneyoutlet.com/ They have some really great deals. I was on there the other day and they had these Pooh jammies for like $5. Score! So I picked up a couple of pj's and a donald duck shirt and this cute little Pooh tote bag. All in all it was like $30. Well, for like 3 days before the package was supposed to arrive everytime I told Kai to get dressed he asked for Pooh clothes. Not a big deal because I have several Tigger and Pooh shirts. We didn't have a problem until he wanted Pooh jammies! Ok, good thing I ordered those, except now he won't take them off! He wore them for 2 days straight. I had to wash them twice yesterday because his pull up leaked on them and he got them so freaking dirty the second time. He wouldn't even let them dry...nope put them on straight out of the washer. What a nut! Although, I seem to recall when Sabina was this age and she had a certain "pincess" dress that she wouldn't take off. I am hoping it gets old soon. That or I better order some more jammies.

As for the bag? Well, he loves it too! Everytime I tell him we are leaving he goes, "Oh my bag!" and runs and gets it. The only problem we have is that he thinks he should walk everywhere because it has wheels. He got alone time today before I left for work because he was going to walk to mama's! Ok, I don't have time for that!

It is cute though. If you ask him who is on his shirt he can say all their names!

Goodbye My Dear Sweet Friends!

2008-08-25T10:23:00.000-06:00

So for a while now I have been VERY angry at my washer and dryer. It has been very rude of them to shrink all of my clothes so that they fit oh so very snug...well that was until I went shopping with Denae and the possibility that all the clothes I tried on had been washed and dried in my laundry room went out the window. Ok reality check. I guess my butt is that big! So I went home apologized to my appliances and got motivated! So adios to this...

And this

Unless I really do want to look like this:

And Hello to this:

Ok so the salad is actually really good. Thank you McDonald's (Asian chicken Salad). I have even been to the gym...Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday. I am looking for support so no more candy or junk at work (haha...you know when I do work.) So if you see me about to stuff my face just punch me or you know something...

I am also looking for good, easy recipes and tips. If you guys have any leave me a comment. I am also wondering if people want to do some sort of "biggest loser" type thing with me. I know several people that have told me they would like to lose weight. Let me know if you guys have any ideas and I will keep brainstorming too.

Until then, here's to the Battle of the Bulge!!!

Even Two Year Olds Need Privacy

2008-08-20T12:09:00.000-06:00

So I was brushing my teeth this morning and I hear this grunting coming from the bedroom. I poke my head around the corner and...

I say "Are you pooping?" Ok I didn't have to even ask...it was obvious. My kid likes to lay on his tummy to do his duty and usually he is hiding under the table or behind a chair. Well he looks up at me and his face is kind of surprised then he yells, "GO AWAY MOMMA!"

Ok ok I get you...you need your privacy, just come get me when you're done!

Noodles? Seriously?

2008-08-20T11:53:00.000-06:00

Well Charlie has been out of town again. He was in Twin Falls from Friday to Sunday and then in Elko for Monday night. We saw him for a little while on Sunday when he was down in the basement laying our bathroom tile...

Oooh doesn't it look pretty? Are the walls too blue? I am trying to decide. Anyways, but then it was right back to work. He has been really busy with an investigation. He isn't involved in it, just investigating so I am glad. But he was starting to miss us and since I didn't work yet again (I should really call and make sure I still have a job) we went up and had dinner with him at TGIFridays. I asked Kai what he wanted to eat and he said "Sprite." Ok well, that isn't really sustenance...So I read him the list of options again and he said "Pizza." Cool, ok I can do pizza. He will still make a mess but atleast it won't be as bad as...."No momma...noodles!" "What?! Seriously? Noodles?" "YYYYYYEAH!" (He does this really long drawn out Yeah when he is excited.) Ok so noodles it is...Uh waitress, I think I am going to need more napkins.

The County Fair

2008-08-20T11:41:00.000-06:00

The county fair was last week in Spanish Fork and since I didn't work my mom and I took Malakai. Yes, the last thing he needed was more rides. No, it was not Family Night. Yes, the rides cost $3 each. No, I haven't lost my mind! Yes, he is spoiled!!! No, I don't see anything wrong with it so get off my back! Ok just kidding. But really if you look at the pictures, he just wasn't that enthused.

I didn't even get a smile on the vroom vroom ride?! Ok he is such a kill joy...Come on buddy mommy paid a lot of money for you to ride this thing for 2 minutes...smile already!

Funny enough, he perked up dramatically after dinner. Hmm can anyone else say low bloodsugar?! After he scarfed down a $4 hotdog and chips he was all set to go. His favorite attraction this time? The obstacle course. I think I spent $18 on that one ride..."One more time Momma." It was awfully cute to see him climb the rope ladder all by himself! Ohh we also got to see cows and sheep and chickens and a bunny. He really didn't care...but I did say hello to a cow for you Denae who was busy actually working!

Facebook

2008-08-19T23:43:00.000-06:00

Ok so Denae and Maureen got me hooked on blogging and now Denae has me going on facebook. I have yet to truly understand it all. But what I do know is that it is fun to throw sheep and taze people. I had no idea that was what facebook was all about. If you have no idea what I am talking about...you are not alone. When I get it all figured out I will let you know.

Just Chillin'

2008-08-15T13:43:00.000-06:00

I was downstairs cleaning the kitchen and I noticed Kai wasn't around. So I started investigating. I walked into my room and this is what I saw:

Hmm, should I be worried? Probably not since this only lasted for 1 episode of Pooh. He is now tearing around the house on his digger.

Fight for Kisses!

2008-08-15T13:42:00.001-06:00

Charlie sent me this e mail. I thought it was kind of funny, so here it is.

Three Monkeys at Kangaroo Zoo!

2008-08-14T21:34:00.000-06:00

Ok so I know I have said it before, but here it goes again: WE MISS CHRYSTINA AND THE KIDS!!! (I would add Jeremy but really he wasn't around that much anyways!) They kept life exciting for us. We were always going and exploring and playing and having a great time and then they left and all Malakai had was me! That was a pretty poor substitute. Good thing we found "nae and the girls!" and Maureen and her kids! It is so much funner to do kid things when you have another adult to talk to. So after swimming on Friday with all of our new friends Kai was excited to play again and made me call Denae and ask if we could play some more. Lucky for us she said yes and Kai was able to go play at one of his favorite places...Kangaroo Zoo! Kangaroo Zoo is this place in Pleasant Grove that has a ton of inflatable toys and slides to play on. We used to go there all the time with Chrys and the kids but I hadn't taken him back since they left. Bailey got right into the swing of things...I think that girl has some serious monkey in her!

She and Kai Kai loved going up and down the big slide! I am so GLAD that Malakai has finally mastered climbing up to the slide...my arms used to be so dead by the end of the day because he would make me carry him all the way up!

Laira had a hard time at first. She just wasn't quite sure this was for her, but it didn't take long for her to loosen up and start having a good time too.

Sometimes though, no matter how much fun you are having you just need a rest.

Even if it is in the middle of traffic!

This was Kai's favorite thing to do the whole day!

After Kangaroo Zoo I had to go to staff meeting. I just love staff meetings...they always make me feel so incompetent! Then I had to go to the mall and look for some new crocs for Kai. Dad left his old ones at the park on Sunday. Denae needed to find new shoes for the girls for school so they came with. Kai did pretty well in his stroller...God bless the person that thought of putting steering wheels in carts, strollers etc.

But curse the person that thought blue ice cream would be a good idea!

So this was all done on Monday, Tuesday I worked (that makes two shifts...I think we might be back to work!) and Wednesday was spent sleeping and running around (there was some crying in there too but that is for another day). Then today we went swimming again. This time Maureen and her kids weren't able to come..we missed them, but still had fun. Maybe next time Maureen? I am waiting for the day that Denae gets tired of me calling and asking if she wants to play...until then we are planning camping next week. Anyone else want to come?!

The Hair Cut!

2008-08-11T10:56:00.000-06:00

So the dry spell finally ended. After 3 weeks of being on call I finally worked Saturday night. It was a really busy shift and I came home Sunday morning pretty tired. Kai and Charlie were in bed so I just snuggled in next to them. Charlie is pretty good about watching Kai until 1 or so as long as they are out of the house and Malakai can't get to mommy. So I fully expected them to be gone when I woke up. I was wrong...instead I woke up to this. "Momma look what Kai Kai do!" Now, it was like 10 am and I was barely able to open one eye to see what Kai Kai do...but oh man how I wish I had taken a picture. There in front of me is my sweet little boy with his puff ball hair...except for a large portion missing in the front! Yes, my son found the clippers! Well, nothing I could do...daddy will take care of it. So I turned over and went to sleep...I think I was hoping it was a dream. But then when I awoke later I found this:

Yep, Dad took care of it. He buzzed his whole head. In Charlie's defense though, there wasn't a whole lot he could do. Look closely. See that little white patch? That is skin. My son shaved his head right down to the skin. Charlie said he was going to shave his whole head down to the skin but didn't want Kai Kai to look like a "little skin head." I agree. Having your two year old look like a white supremacist Nazi is probably not a good idea.

So this is the conversation I had with Kai about it: (sorry it is side ways...I was taking pictures when he started telling me about it so I just switched to record. See Maureen I need the camcorder!)

Notice that in this video Malakai takes full responsibility for his actions. When asked if dad buzzed his head Kai responds "No Kai Kai did it."

Funny how quickly his story changed:

I love that in this version Dad did it! Oh well. I guess it is a good thing hair grows back. But, just for the record (Trent!), I have it on tape that Kai Kai did it! For once Mom had nothing to do with this buzz cut!!!

Swimming with Friends!

2008-08-11T10:30:00.000-06:00

It is a well known fact that Malakai is a fish! He loves to swim...his mom not so much but that is because of the swimsuit issue. Anyways, on Friday I got over my issue and we went swimming with Denae and the girls and Maureen and her kids. We had a great time! I was worried because we had been having less than optimal swimming weather before hand, but the sun came out just for us.

Malakai loves to play with Laira. I think it is because she is the same age as his precious Sabina. He misses his cousin so much. Every time we get in the car he asks if we are going to na na's house.

And like all our great adventures...we brought Oreos. They are Malakai's favorites. Coincedently, the other kids liked them too!

The storm clouds rolled in again right as we were leaving. We had perfect timing and the kids couldn't get mad at us because they shut down the pool...mom had nothing to do with it. Blame the weather! I was talking to Charlie on the phone and when I turned around this is what I saw:

At first he was laughing, but then he looked down. They tell you never to look down! After that he started yelling, "Help me! Help me!" Oh my, if this child makes it to 3!

With Help Like This...

2008-08-11T09:48:00.000-06:00

I love that Malakai is getting a little older. I don't have to be right by his side every minute helping him play or watching him do something, although "Look what Kai Kai do" is still a familiar refrain in my house. But as I was spending some time checking my e mail and looking at Maureen's blog (poor wall), I heard something that by now has become a RED ALERT WARNING....I heard nothing! Yep, absolutely quiet. And as I turned around to check on him..."Momma, look what Kai Kai do!" rang out!

Oh how helpful...he was emptying my dish. Of course, the dishes were dirty and he was emptying them onto the floor. Good thing we use a lot of plastic dishes. No nice china in this house. Yep, with help like this who needs a maid?!

Malakai and the Great Spotted Beast!

2008-08-10T17:01:00.000-06:00

As the hot sun beat down on the dry desert earth not a creature dared move...the battle lines had been drawn. The contenders stared into each others eyes as they sized up their competition. It was a battle till the end...the end of the bubble gun batteries.

Although I don't think it even lasted that long. Dexter proved to be no match for Malakai and his endless stream of soapy bubbles, and soon he retreated to the safety of the backyard.

Stay tuned for next weeks conquest when Malakai battles the ferocious lioness Simone and her fat minone Titus with the fly swatter. You won't want to miss it!

Ice cream

2008-08-05T18:56:00.000-06:00

Those of you who know me even a little will know that there are few things that I feel are better than ice cream. We went to mom's on Sunday for dinner...she cooked and we brought dessert. So having already said what I said at the beginning I am sure you can guess that we had ice cream for dessert. I think I might have passed on my love for the creamy cool goodness to Kai.

Yes, I agree...it is good to the very last drop!

I think the only thing sweeter than the ice cream that day was the company.

Picnic in the Canyon

2008-08-05T18:15:00.000-06:00

On Saturday the 26th we all headed up to South Fork Park in Provo Canyon to try to escape the heat. Chrystina found us this awesome little picnic space that was in the shade and right by the river. The river was so kid friendly too. The place she picked out was shallow (only about 18 inches at the deepest) and had pallets going across for the kids to play on.

Jeremy brought squirt guns and the kids had a fabulous time getting completely soaked. The hardest part was convincing Malakai not to drink the water...I so did not need a case of giardia on my hands.

I am not sure how many times I said, "We don't shoot Mommy!" I don't think he was listening. Of course, Uncle Wyatt was not helping matters.

I think the only ones that made it out dry were the twins and Brynlee. They spent time hanging out on the blanket or in the stroller.

The twins found out that daddy made one AWESOME pack mule!

The backpack also worked great to put them to sleep.

After the water fight everyone was ready for a cookie break. Amazing how cookies can bring even the most hardened squirt gun fighters together.

And then it was nap time! Blankey? Check! Binky? Check! Hammock?! Now when did that become a camping necesity? I don't know...but it is one now!!!

The only bad things that happened that day were the little red bugs that were EVERYWHERE...I even found one in my van 3 days later. And as Trevor found out, there are no bathrooms in the wilderness...well I guess trees count. How nice to be a boy!!!

The END...or should I say ends?!

2008-08-05T18:05:00.000-06:00

You Are Megara!

Charming and witty. You are always the first person to come up with a wisecrack. Sure, you have an attitude, but that's why people love you. You keep them on their toes. Sometimes you can be misleading, but always end up doing the right thing for the people you love.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

The 24th

2008-08-05T17:07:00.000-06:00

So I haven't blogged in awhile and that is because I have been so busy. Busy doing wonderful fun things. Things like the Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Parade on the 24th of July. No sir, I don't think you can call it a real parade without a few tractors.

Malakai and Brynlee sure seemed to enjoy them. After the parade we went back to my moms and had lunch and then went and saw Space Chimps (see previous blog about this can't miss flick). Then we all went up to the Brown's and had dinner. Patty (Chrys' mom) is always so good about feeding us whenever we show up. It was so nice just to sit in the backyard in the shade and play with the twins and the kids. Hey, I even found out that I can still do a cart wheel...Thanks Sabina I don't think I would have tried without the encouragement.

The Moday before the 24th my mom and I took Kai to the carnival. It was family night and all the rides were just $1. So, I dished out $5 and let him have at it. His favorite ride was of course the Vroom Vromm ride...I think he spent $4 out of $5 there.

On his last ride a little girl hopped on behind him...He was confused at first but then seemed fine with it. I panicked...he is too young to be picking up chicks!

Space Chimps

2008-07-28T18:00:00.000-06:00

I have just been DYING to see this movie...ok well maybe not me, but my 6 year old niece Sabina has been. So when Jeremy and Chrystina came to visit over the 24th my mom and I decided to take the kids to the movie. Sabina, Trevor, Malakai, Baby Brynlee, Grandma Kitty and I really did have a good time. I was nervous about Kai and how he would do, but he had his "na na" (Sabina) to sit by and at times on so things were all good. During the most climactic part...(SPOILER ALERT!!!)...the monkeys, oh excuse me, Chimps have just crash landed their shuttle after being in space...are they alive or dead?!...the entire theater is silent...when malakai chimes in with "uh oh" in his normal outdoor voice...the entire theater erupted in laughter. My child the comedic genius.

Reflections of Christ

2008-07-25T01:19:00.000-06:00

My wonderful friend Denae had this posted on her blog and I had to steal it so that my family and friends could see it. Mom, this will really get you ready for BYUI Education Week. I am so excited.

"I think this slide show will uplift you and touch your heart as well. It reminds me of this month's Ensign article by M. Russell Ballard on using the Internet.I hope you find it as touching as I did.For many years the Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had exhibits on the temple grounds during the Easter season. This year, there was also a 'Reflections of Christ' photography exhibit in the Visitor's Center. The photographer was given permission to photograph Pageant cast members for the exhibit. They traveled to various locations in Arizona that the photographer felt looked like the places in Israel where the events took place and recreated the scenes. The photographer worked with a few other individuals to put together a 5 minute slide show which includes every image from the exhibit set to the hymn 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.'Remember when you're watching the video that the photographs are real, they aren't paintings. Maximize the video so you can see it full screen. You can expand the screen to fit your entire computer screen for a better view by clicking on the lower right hand square icon (next to the volume)."

http://mabrystudios.typepad.com/reflections_of_christ/2008/03/reflections-sli.html

Memories...

2008-07-25T01:04:00.000-06:00

I am taking a hint from my friend Steph/Maureen and posting about memories. We all have memories of each other...building relationships...things we remember from years ago or a week ago that make us who we are. So, I am going to treat this like a TAG. You are ALL tagged. Everyone who reads this post is challenged to make a comment about a memory you have of me. It can be big or small. It doesn't matter. You all play a role in my life. If you comment...I will leave a memory on your blog as well (unless you tell me not to!)And if you don't have a blog...today is a good day to start one! (yeah, you knew that one was coming....)

My ducks are in chaos!!!

2008-07-23T13:15:00.000-06:00

So apparently if you want anything to come to fruition quickly you should blog about it. Well, the general finally signed off on his package. Yes, my hopes and dreams of getting out early have been terminated! My husband is off to Twentynine Palms on Sept 28th. Kai and I will be around for awhile. We have to figure out what to do with the house (sell, rent, burn it down and collect insurance!). Charlie is being very ambiguous about when they will deploy...says he will know more when he checks in and is continually reminding me that we still have time...lots of time. What does he know?! He has never been a planner or worrier. I just don't see what is wrong with wanting all your ducks in a row...months and months in advance! Now am I wrong here?! Right now my ducks are in chaos! Anyways, if all goes the way we think it will all of you here in Utah will be seeing a lot of me (and very little of Charlie) for the next year or so. So no tears...we will deal with that all later. Boy, I love procrastination and denial!!!

Twentynine Palms or Bust!

2008-07-21T19:25:00.000-06:00

So it's happened...I don't know how...I don't know when...but it has happened. Three years have nearly come and gone! Charlie is quickly approaching the end of his recruiting days, and while we knew the end was coming we had no idea that his days were literally numbered. He officially checks out of recruiting on Aug 29 and into 7th Marines based in...wait for it...Twentynine Palms, CA on Sept 28th. Yes that's right. We are headed back to the sand box, or at least that is the plan. So many things are still up in the air right now. The General has yet to sign off on his admin. sep package saying that she agrees with the board and we can stay in. In fact, word is she sent it back to the JAG but no one can tell us why. I have secret hopes that she has decided Charlie shouldn't be in the Marines anymore and is just going to give him an Honorable Discharge. We never had plans of staying here. We were thrilled when we got orders to Provo, but always knew we would be leaving. I had no idea that these last few years would change me so much. I have a home, I have family and friends, I have a great job...let's face it...I have a bubble! I love my bubble...I don't want to leave my bubble. So for now in the secret places of my heart I pray to Heavenly Father that we get to stay. But I am not naive enough to believe that I am at all in control. I gave my life and path to Him long ago. If we are supposed to be in Twentynine Palms then I will go. Besides, it isn't that bad once you get past the meth heads, the insane heat and the suicidal devil possessed jack rabbits.

(If you haven't heard the jack rabbit story let me know...it is a good one.) I shouldn't be so down in the dumps. Kai and I won't be leaving for a while. The house isn't ready to be put on the market and Charlie just informed me that they should be deploying again soon...Yeah! Oh, you can't hear it but that was sarcasm!

"So," you may be asking yourself, "how does Charlie feel about this? Is he sad to leave?" Well I just let him read this post and he turned around and looked and me and he was very perturbed. Apparently he thinks this is GREAT news..."it has been" as he informs me, "three years since he has killed anyone!"

Oh how lucky am I!

Where Pee Pee Go?

2008-07-21T19:10:00.000-06:00

A few months ago my mom was watching Kai and my baby niece Brynlee. My mom was changing Bryn's diaper when Kai wandered over. He looked at my mom quizzically and asked "Where pee pee go?" I had to explain that Bryn is a girl...different anatomy.

I tell you this story so that I can tell you about what happened on Saturday. My family was at a family reunion in Logan at a park. Things were winding down, many people had left and my mom and brothers and sister in law were sitting in the shade talking. Charlie had long ago fallen asleep near by. So as we are talking I look at my mom and she has this disturbed/bemused look on her face...I turn to see what she is looking at and notice that Charlie is laying on his back sound asleep and he has BOTH hands down his pants! I smacked his foot and started laughing hysterically...I said "Are you afraid it is going to wander off? Like one morning you are just going to wake up and it will be gone?"

My mom then pipes in with..."And Kai Kai will say, 'Where pee pee go?'"

He was embarrassed enough that my whole family had seen...I told him it would only get worse when I blogged it!

Preparing for motherhood!

2008-07-21T18:44:00.000-06:00

I know this is LONG...but it is well worth reading. I got this e mail from my sister in law and finally got a chance to read it while Kai napped. I laughed out loud!!!

15 Lessons Before Having Kids

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2

Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior. Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3

A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial, or blog, read other's blogs.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive) Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together!

Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5

Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed

for this - all morning.

Lesson 6

1. Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and a jar of paint, turn it into an alligator.

2. Now take the tube from a roll of toilet paper. Using only Scotch tape and a piece of aluminum foil, turn it into an attractive Christmas candle.

3. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty packet of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Lesson 7

Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 8

1. Get ready to go out.

2. Sit on the floor of your bathroom reading picture books for half an hour.

3. Go out the front door.

4. Come in again. Go out.

5. Come back in.

6. Go out again.

7. Walk down the front path.

8. Walk back up it.

9. Walk down it again.

10. Walk very slowly down the sidewalk for five minutes.

11. Stop, inspect minutely, and ask at least 6 questions about every cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect along the way.

12. Retrace your steps.

13. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbors come out and stare at you.

14. Give up and go back into the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Lesson 9

Repeat everything you have learned at least (if not more than) five times.

Lesson 10

1. Go to the local grocery store.

2. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat.

3. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 11

1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air. You are now ready to feed a nine-month-old baby.

Lesson 12

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street, Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney Channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking, What's 'Noggin'? Exactly the point.)

Lesson 13

Move to the tropics. Find or make a compost pile. Dig down about halfway and stick your nose in it. Do this 3-5 times a day for at least two years.

Lesson 14

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 15

Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt-sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 14 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Pictures of my Favorite Kids!!!

2008-07-12T14:08:00.001-06:00

Count Your Blessings

2008-07-12T12:09:00.000-06:00

Last night after I posted about my bad week I went upstairs, said my prayers and crawled into bed. As I laid in the dark next to my husband I started thinking about how disappointed Heavenly Father would be if he read that post. Yes, I had a very bad week but, in the midst of all my stress there was love and beauty and blessings beyond belief! So this is my post to say all the GOOD things that happened this week!!!

1) I got to spend an abundance of time with the people I love the mostest!!! With 2 birthdays this week we really got a chance to CELEBRATE!

Malakai turned 2 and Grandma Kitty turned 49..again!

Granny and Papa were here for the party

Malakai realized that he does LOVE his Granny!

2) I went on a date with the SEXIEST guy I know...my husband! After all the stress of the beginning of the week we went to the movies and snuggled in the dark...movies are so much more enjoyable when you don't have a 2yr old running up and down the aisles and throwing popcorn.

3) I have a sure knowledge that FAMILIES ARE FOREVER!!!

This life is not the end. If we follow the plan our Heavenly Father has set out for us I KNOW we will be together with our loved ones again!

4) My husband is still alive! Yes, he is injured...but he can walk (sorta) and he can think (thank God for helmets!)

5) We have insurance...We have the best health insurance in the world!

6)I LOVE my job! I might not like going to work all the time but I make good money working 2 nights a week...really only hookers can compete with this schedule! I LOVE the people I work with...I truly do consider them all my friends...some are just closer than others.

7) Instead of spending the night running my tail off at work...I got to spend it washing my van (it is very shiny!), blogging and sleeping next to my husband in my nice soft bed.

8) I still hate Arizona, but Jeremy and Chrystina and the kids can finally be a family again. No more getting on a plane monday morning to commute to work. No more single mom stuff for Chrys. AND after 8 years of marriage they finally have their own home that they can do whatever to and NOT have to ask a landlord. We will miss you but, I am SO happy for you!

9) I got to eat a lot of birthday cake! Now, that in and of itself is something to be glad for.

I know my Heavenly Father loves and cares about me. I am so grateful for the blessings He gives me each day and I am going to try to recognize them more!

Busy, Crazy, Crapy, Sad, Stupid Week!!!

2008-07-12T01:18:00.000-06:00

So I haven't posted a lot this week because as I mentioned before this has been a busy, crazy, crapy (are there 2 p's?), sad, stupid week!!! Honestly, most of the week I have felt like Kai looks in the above picture. The story is too long to post, and honestly just needs my dramatic verbal touch to make it complete, but here are the basics: Speeding ticket, Crash (the Hulk is having some SERIOUS "alone time"), Emergency room, funeral (Crash and ER are not related to funeral...lucky for Charlie), Work (not with any of my good friends...Although I think Steph was there for like half a second...stupid princess shifts!) AND it was a really busy shift with a patient that fainted on me twice AND I talked to all of my doctors except 1 in the first 3 hours!!!, Emotional breakdown by husband ("We don't talk about that anymore" says Charlie), Said goodbye to Trevor and Sabina and twins and sent them to live in Arizona (I HATE Arizona...Stupid Arizona with affordable housing and job!), Got put on call for work, called into work, then sent home from work ALL in the same hour (stupid 7th floor and their dumb lack of need for 1 more nurse...Ohh upside, got to see Maureen and Monica and Chris...All who I love!)

And the week isn't even over!!! What a week...by the way, my mom's birthday was on the 10th and Kai's was on the 11th, those days had their happy moments.

Kai's Birthday Party!!!

2008-07-06T11:48:00.000-06:00

So eventhough Kai will not officially be 2 until Friday the 11th, we celebrated with a party on Saturday! We had a great time...lots of food, family and fun. The kids went swimming in the back yard. I think the pictures are evidence of the fun they had.

Only one ouch! Trevor was stung by a wasp on his shoulder blade. But our good ol' Wyoming girl Lisa came to the rescue with a benadryl and mud compress and soon he was splish splashing with the rest of the gang. when the kids were done swimming and all cleaned up we had cake and ice cream.

I have to say that I was very pleased with the way it came out. Kai couldn't wait to try out his new VROOM VROOMs.

My mom was the one that thought up the idea of using sparklers for candles...he thought that was pretty neat. But I had to have tradition, so I lit the 2 candle and tried to get Kai to blow it out...Apparently that was old school because he took his motorcycle and smashed the candle, extinguishing the flame. Some men can do anything with duct tape...my kid can do anything with vroom vrooms. Then it was time for presents! Wow, this is one well loved little boy.

Uncle Wyatt and Aunt Lisa got him his own AWESOME helmet and gloves. Now he can ride safe while riding on his own VROOM VROOM that Charlie and I got him.

It is a Harley Davidson Big Wheel aka Kai Kai's Vroom vroom. This was the perfect gift. It makes motorcycle noises and has a ton of buttons to push. His little legs aren't quite long enough to reach the petals but he scoots along rather well on his own.

It was a long, wonderful day. Kai was so tired that he fell asleep on my bed while brushing his teeth. Man, if he would go to bed that easy everynight. Thanks to everyone who came. We love you all! And for those of you who missed it...maybe we can do a redo next saturday! The pool is still up and ready to go.

The Grand Parade!!!

2008-07-05T23:54:00.001-06:00

Well, this week has been absolutely crazy. My mom and I have been trying to spend as much time as possible with Trevor and Sabina before they move to Phoenix next week. We have been trying to make it memory making time. So on that note we decided that even though we were running on empty and no sleep we would get up and hit the parade! This was not simple matter. I had to get up at 6:30 am!!! I dont' do that...I mean I am either up all night at work or I am up at 9/9:30 am. I am not a morning person. But, for this memory making time I sacrificed...kudos for me! Anyway, we loaded up 3 kids, 1 stroller, 4 bottles of water, lots of patriotic gear and headed out! And surprisingly enough we got there on time so there were still open spaces. I don't know why we worried about it though. The kids started in their own space but slowly encroached on people around us. They borrowed this blanket, they ate their cookies...yeah we were definately glad for kind people around us.

After the parade we headed over to the Freedom Festival and the kids got their faces painted.

Sabina made a very beautiful Statue of Liberty.

Arrr me mateys!!! Trevor made a very cute pirate. I was very glad the paint came off easy with wet wipes.

I was a little worried about Kai getting his face painted. He doesn't have the longest attention span and I didn't want him to end up with half a gecko on his face. But, he surprised me and did relatively well.

It was a LONG, but pleasant day, and I won't soon forget it! Glad we made the effort...I suppose life is too short to sleep the day away (Ok I am going to start this slowly...Tuesdays and bank holidays I'll get up early!)

The Hulk!

2008-07-03T23:37:00.000-06:00

I would like to introduce everyone to the newest member of our family...The Hulk! This is Charlie's new bike that he just bought today. Now, I have to tell you why he bought a new bike. Last night he was supposed to meet us after pictures for dinner. Well, he called me and said that he was at Deseret Industries in Provo and that I would probably need to come and get him. Apparently, a couple of bolts had jiggled loose over the months and now his entire front faring (front part of the bike with headlights and all...very important!) was hanging by wires. Problem? YES. But fortunately, Escape Motor Sports was across the street and he found some bolts that would at least keep it together long enough to get home, so I didn't need to come get him. Well, then he called me again. He got the front part on but when he went to start it his clutch cable snapped...again this is an important part and no, Escape Motor Sports didn't have that part. So my brother picked him and his broken bike up in his truck and drove him home. This morning Charlie scoured all of Utah county and Sandy and there was not a clutch cable to be had anywhere. There was however, this beautiful new bike. Anyway, long story short, my husband searched all over the county for an unavailable clutch cable, found a new bike, got approved for a loan, bought the bike AND went for a 3 hour ride all in one day! It is amazing what he can do when properly motivated. So why has the tile in my bathroom taken 3 months?! Wonder how I can get him motivated to do that!?!

Good news: Toys R Us has a bike just like Daddy's for Kai.

Bad news: It says "Groovy Girls" and costs a fortune!

Now, this is more like it! Maybe when his feet touch the ground...Until then, they ride with Daddy and Uncle Wyatt.

Before the ride Sabina informed us that "girls don't like motorcycles...they like ballet."

After the ride she said, "When I am a teenager I am going to buy a motorcycle."

Next big seller at Christmas

2008-07-03T23:27:00.000-06:00

On Wed. I was at my mom's house getting ready to go take the kids' pictures and Malakai comes up to me and says, "Momma come!" So I follow him into the play room. He then proceeds to crawl into this box that is not even 6 inches tall. He looked so weird and funny I had to take a picture!

I am sure this new toy will be ALL THE RAGE come Christmas...now how to market it?!

I am thinking of calling it "Baby TOO Real" with a disclaimer: College Tuition NOT included!

Kai's 1st Haircut!

2008-07-03T23:16:00.000-06:00

Kai got his 1st official haircut on Tuesday. He looks so funny in that black cape with just his little head sticking out. He kept tilting his head towards his shoulder as she was shaving the sides. Maybe it tickled. In any case, he held very still after I started bribing him with M&M's. I had to finally give in and pay somebody to cut his hair since everytime I did it he ended up with a buzz cut, even if that wasn't what I intended. He looked very handsome for his pictures with his cousins that we had taken on Wed. (That is a whole other story...6 kids, 5 under the age of 3. I am pretty sure I had a mini stroke when I thought that was a good idea!!!) Anyways, at $10 a pop his hair better not grow too fast.

Big boy!

2008-07-03T23:00:00.000-06:00

I am just realizing now how my son is truly a little boy and no longer my baby. We went to the park on Monday and he no longer needed my help on anything (except the monkey bars, but I blame myself for that. I have very little upper body strength and fear that because he is genetically prone to this he will always need my help on those stupid bars!). They even have a little rock wall and he climbed it all by himself.

You moms that have more than one child are probably thinking I am the dumbest person alive, but he did it all by himself!!!

This not being needed thing is new to me. Wow him leaving for college is going to suck!

Yeah for Denae!!!

2008-07-02T01:31:00.000-06:00

So thanks must be given out to Denae for my BEAUTIFUL blog! I appreciate the downtime at work, makes it so that we can get the really important stuff done. Stuff like changing my template and font color. It looks gorgeous and I am very grateful. From now on I am going to just tell Denae all my stories and let her blog them! Just kidding.

The Binky Monster

2008-06-30T16:44:00.001-06:00

The other night at work I was talking to Denae and Maureen about Malakai turning two. I told him that two year olds are big boys and they don't use binkies or baba's and they go poop and pee on the potty. He of course, put his binky in his mouth, said "Momma baba" and walked away. I don't think it sunk in. So Denae was telling me that when she took Bailey's binkies away she waited until Bailey went to sleep, took all the binkies in the house and threw them away. The next morning when Bailey asked where her binky was Denae told her that the binky monster took it. Denae said Bailey handled it great. She still blames the binky monster when she can't find things. I thought that sounded like a pretty good idea.

So yesterday Malakai comes up to me and says "Where binky go?" I looked at him very seriously and said "I don't know. Maybe the binky monster took it." His eyes got really big and then...TOTAL MELTDOWN!!! I have never seen him so upset. I felt awful, yet I couldn't stiffle a giggle. I told him I was just kidding and like a weenie went and found his binky for him! I think we are going to have to try something else...and fast. The binky epidemic is spreading! Haha.

1st Time Dad

2008-06-30T00:57:00.000-06:00

So I was going through my computer and found this video of when Malakai was born. I had almost forgotten about it. Now for you moms you know how out of it you are by the end of labor and I had a LONG labor. The next morning Charlie was showing me the pictures and filming he did in the delivery room. This clip is priceless! You have to have sound when you watch this, pay attention to what charlie says the last 10 seconds or so.

I have never laughed so hard! My favorite part is Charlie's nervous laugh. By the way, his head did not stay that way...He was beautiful. Strange to think how quickly time goes by. Seems like this was just yesterday. How quickly they go from this to this!!!

Maybe it is time for another?!

Fishing

2008-06-29T23:51:00.000-06:00

So on Fri the 20th of June I went fishing! This is pretty amazing because I hate fish. They are slimy and stinky and I don't think they taste all that great either. My sister in law Chrystina invited me and Kai to go along with her and her kids. I guess in her ward they have a mom and kids interest group that does fun things (like fishing?!) on fridays. OK, so it wasn't that bad for two reasons. 1) I didn't touch any worms and 2) We didn't catch a thing! If you look closely you'll notice Kai's pole doesn't even have a hook! The place we went was in Midway. It had grass, nice clean restrooms and even a playground so I could distract Kai when he got too interested in the water. Yeah- that was my kind of fishing.

Look at the boy concentrate. He just loved pushing the button and watching the weight sink to the bottom and reeling it back in!

Sabina (6) did catch some nice looking moss. Trevor (3) wasn't so lucky.

About Us

2008-06-26T14:44:00.000-06:00

My name is Krista. I am 26 years old. I live in Payson, Ut with my husband Charlie and son Malakai. I am a registered nurse at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. I work on the 6th floor with some of the greatest people EVER! This is me at my nursing school gradutation. I am totally pimping the hat. I love being a mom and being home in Utah. We lived in Twentynine Palms, Ca for 5 years before moving here.

Charlie is active duty Marine Corps, stationed out here on recruiting duty. He has been in for almost 10 years. He has been deployed to Iraq twice. This shot was taken in Iraq while he was patrolling a rooftop. He LOVES this about the Marines. He HATES recruiting, it has caused us a LOT of grief. He can't until this duty is over in Oct. He is ready to deploy and blow stuff up again. (I can wait though...I think life is kind of nice here in the civilian world.)

Malakai is almost 2! July 11 is his birthday. He is an amazing little boy! He loves anything that has wheels and makes loud noises. His favorite things are his daddy's VROOM VROOM, Wy Wy's VROOM VROOM, Uncle Chris' VROOM VROOM and of course Kai Kai's 4 wheeler. He is quite the handful, he has no fear like his dad. Kai is here by me now and he says that he also likes to play with his cousins, "Ti Ti" and "Mone" (Titus and Simone our cats) and go "wimming" (swimming).

Welcome!

2008-06-26T14:20:00.000-06:00

Hi! So Maureen and Denae have rubbed off on me and I think I am going to give this blogging thing a shot. It has to be easier than scrapbooking, not that I have tried that to know. So I can't guarantee that this will be updated all the time but I will try.