So Worth It

So here it is - the big reveal. I am still getting used to the way my straight teeth look - sometimes I feel like I have on dentures or something. I am very happy with the way they turned out and even happier that they are OFF!

Our First First Grader

I can't believe Luke is going to be in first grade! I helped with his field day at school yesterday where they do games outside all day, and we had lots of fun. Even if it wasn't sunny and 75 like they said it was supposed to be. Today was the last day of school and we are ready for summer! Luke is so smart and creative and we love his funny personality.

Sweet hula moves

The dress up relay race - go farmer Luke!

Mini Corn and New Teeth (aka Straighter Old Teeth)

And here is some more commentary from where else? The dinner table. Luke wanted me to video him eating everything, but I thought that was too gross. I also did a quick shot of my new teeth. I guess they are my old teeth, but just nicer looking. I feel like they are horse teeth, they look so much bigger without the braces on.

Dance Festival

Today was Luke's school Dance Festival. I don't know about you guys, but I never did anything like this in elementary school, maybe it is a Utah thing? Anyway, it was great. Since Luke has no older brothers to tell him that dancing is "sissy" or something like that, he was totally into it. Unfortunately, I have it on our regular video camera and I can't put it on here. But he was great! Liam and Grace barely made it through the whole thing, but we did in fact survive being outside for an hour watching the whole school dance and slowly baking in the sun. Thank goodness for sunscreen. Here he is with his teacher.

Luke and Mrs. Melzer

Busy, busy, busy

Well these last few days have been busy, busy, busy. We have had a fun Memorial Day weekend, and had time to visit with lots of friends and family. Every day this week has something going on, and we are excited for summer to be here!

The exciting thing for today is that I got my braces off! YAHOO!!! I don't have a picture yet but I will post one soon. Here are some funny pictures from the last few days.

I didn't want to post his whole naked body, but you can use your imagination. Liam loves to be naked and it's even funnier when he accessorizes with one or two things, like a hat or Grace's dress up shoes.

This was Grace's hair one morning after we had put it in a pony tail the night before. For some reason we just thought it was so funny, she didn't even notice it either.

I love this picture - Grace learned about listening in her Primary class on Sunday. She wore these ears around and of course I had to take a picture.

This is just a great picture of our cute little Liam. He always wants us to take pictures of him and then he says "Lemesee!" (in our language, "let me see")

Quick Book Tag

Okay so it's not fair that I got tagged by Shari because she is one of the only people I know that has a blog, and Mandy got tagged too. So that leaves Natalie, Brooke (if she ever reads this) and Amanda. I need to know more people with blogs!

Directions:
1- Get the nearest Book to you, or one you’re reading that contains over 123 pages.
2- Go to the 123 page.
3- Find the 5th sentence.
4- Post the 5th sentence.
5-Tag five people.

"He looked sourly at them when they came into the kitchen." East of Eden by John Steinbeck

I have been trying to read this book forever and now I am done with all my book club books until September so I am going to give it a shot. Wish me luck!

Latest Happenings

Here is the picture that Luke turned in for his kindergarten talent show. You can click on it to see the writing better. What a talented kid!

Cheese head - another classic shot from the dinner table.

Liam's new favorite thing to do it to tell a secret. It is the sweetest and funniest thing ever, since he gets really close and touches his lips to your ear and then whispers to you in his language. We always end up laughing and he thinks it is pretty funny too.

Also- I think I can safely say that we are out of the strep danger zone. Only Luke got it this time, and I think thanks to the nice weather and the kids being outside a lot that has helped us all to not catch it. Thank goodness!

TTA - One Word

Answer the following with only one word. Okay, so I tried but some things need more words!

1. Where is your cell phone? Bag
2. Your significant other? Adam
3. Your hair? Crazy
4. Your mother? Pam
5. Your father? Mark
6. Your favorite thing? books
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? milk
9. Your dream/goal? Venice
10. The room you're in? Office
11. Your children? Busy
12. Your fear? Kidnapping
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? somewhere where everyone is potty trained
14. Where were you last night? home
15. What you're not? cold
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? plants
18. Where you grew up? states

19. What you read last? The Island
20. What are you wearing? clothes
21. Your TV? Works
22. Your pets? calm
23. Your computer? on
24. Your life? rollercoaster
25. Your mood? happy
26. Missing someone? Family
27. Your car? Toyota
28. Something you're not wearing? socks
29. Favorite Store? The Red Balloon
30. Your summer? Fun
31. Like someone? Adam
32. Your favorite color? Blue
33. Last time you laughed? Yesterday
34. Last time you cried? Wednesday

Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun!

We have been enjoying the beautiful weather, we even went for a walk this afternoon and sat in the shade at the park because it was pretty hot. What a nice change from the crazy winter.

So far only Luke has had strep, we are really praying that he is the only one that catches it this time around. Being outside a lot has helped, we are not all cooped up breathing on each other in the house.

School is out in a couple of weeks - we are all excited for summer! Grace is especially excited for Grandma Pam and Grandpa Keith to come camping because, as she told me tonight as I was tucking her in, "We are going to have a tea party while we are camping!" I guess you can have a tea party anywhere you want. The joys of childhood. I hope everyone is enjoying this nice weather!

You get bonus points if you know where I came up with this title!

Strep Strikes Again

Ahhhh....the memories of this last winter are overflowing right now. I thought since it was May we were done with our sickness again but NO!!! Luke has strep again. This is the 3rd time he has had it this season. Apparantly you have to have it like 6 times in one year to be considered for removing your tonsils, not that I want that at all, but with all three kids having step at least once if not two or three times, we have had at least 6 cases, but not all the same child. He missed his talent show at school but wanted me to take his drawing that he did for his talent. When his teacher gives it back I will post it. For now wish us luck and pray that he is the only one who gets it!

TTA - Summertime Memories

Today has been a busy day posting. The kids are off to friend's houses and Liam is napping so I am getting some ME time on the computer. So be sure and scroll down because I did like 4 posts today! (See letter W in my Tagged! post)

Most of my summers were spent with my dad in Alaska. What great childhood memories!

I remember...

Spraying myself in the eye with mosquito repellent because the GIANT Alaskan mosquitos were swarming around me and there was one right in front of my face. Of course, I should have sprayed AWAY from my face instead of directly into my open eyes, but hey, I think I killed the mosquito.

My dad's cool dome house and the heated floors...it was Alaska after all.

Helping Suzanne to run for Senate.

Sitting in the steam room Craig built right by the lake so you could steam and then run and jump off the dock into the water.

Washing leeches off my body after swimming in the lake.

Going to Homer and swinging on Atz's giant tree swing, and Dad digging up dirt in his belt buckle.

Doing theatre camp in Homer and staying in Atz's cabin that we had to haul water into. Very rustic, and definitely cool and fun.

Helping Dad screen print shirts and going to fairs and city days and selling them.

Running in a 5K race and thinking I was going to die.

Hiking up a mountain and picking salmon berries right off the bush and eating them.

Working on the fish dock sorting salmon and getting totally covered in fish scales, and having my first car to drive to work in.

Dad teaching me how to drive and screeching around a corner going like 30 miles per hour. We didn't tip over but I know Dad thought we might. That was one of those teaching moments...slow down if you want to turn.

Working at a fire kitchen in Boise, helping feed firefighters one summer when the wildfires were really bad in the west.

Finished!

Yay! The fort is finished. Or as finished as it's going to get. Adam added a pirate wheel and put more grabbers on, added tons more sand, finished the side and back railings and sanded the whole thing this last weekend. Whew! Now we have to put the protective coating on, but Adam says that's on hiatus until he can get up the energy to do it. (Luke wants to say that he is in an "action" pose in this picture.) He sat like that for a while until I could take the picture.

Liam is good at saying "Cheese!

This has been a typical scene at the dinner table the last few nights. We had to have a Family Home Evening lesson on inside and outside voices after this.

The Host

I was going to put this book on the sidebar as one that I'm currently reading, however when I got it in the mail I immediately started reading in and didn't put it down until I was finished the next night! Like Stephenie Meyer's other books, it's one you can't put down. As it says on her website, it's science fiction for people who don't like science fiction. I highly recommend it.

Tagged!

A. ATTACHED OR SINGLE? Attached, of course. To a wonderful man who is very patient - I guess opposites do attract.
B. BEST FRIEND? Best girlfriend - Emily. Best boyfriend - Adam of course.
C. CAKE OR PIE? Can I pick both? I love a homemake apple pie with Breyer's vanilla ice cream.
D. DAY OF CHOICE? What does this mean? I love Sunday, being with family and relaxing. Or does it mean like my wedding day or the days my children were born? All were wonderful!
E. ESSENTIAL ITEMS? Do people count as items? My family, and then after that I have to have.....maybe our car? I guess I could live without a lot of things. What do we all really NEED anyway? Food, love, water. This could be a whole other post topic.
F. FAVORITE COLORS? Blue
G. GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS? Love the sour worms
H. HOMETOWN? I call Boise, Idaho my hometown even though I only lived there when I was a baby and then again from 3-5 and 13-18 years old. I was born in Nampa, not too far away from Boise also. And Mom and Keith live there, so I guess it counts! Okay writing this I am realizing that a hometown is the place you go back to - and it definitely counts.
I. INDULGENCE? Chocolate!
J. JANUARY OR JULY? I'm going to go with July - especially after this crazy winter.
K. KIDS? 3 very cute ones. As the nurse said when we had Luke "You make good babies."
L. LIFE ISN'T COMPLETE WITHOUT? The gospel and my family.
M. MARRIAGE DATE? August 15, 1998
N. NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS? One half sister, 18 years my junior. I am pretty much an only child.
O. ORANGES OR APPLES? If they are already peeled and or cut, either. Especially apples with peanut butter.
P. PHOBIAS OR FEARS? Same as Mandy - something happening to my children or Adam.
Q. QUOTE? "First, each one of you is living a life filled with much to do. I plead with you not to let the important things in life pass you by, planning instead for that illusive and non-existent future day when you'll have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey — now." President Monson at Women's Conference. Also, I love this one from an article in the paper about the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. "In an era when much of the romance genre has been given over to soft porn, and dark fantasy is peopled with one-dimensional characters bent on grim violence, many readers have become hungry for pure romantic fantasy — lots of sexual tension, but as decorous as Jane Austen. ... She writes with luminous clarity, never standing between the reader and the dream they share. She's the real thing. Still, who'd have thought it? Today Mr. Darcy is a vampire."
R. REASON TO SMILE? My kids...they do make me laugh.
S. SUPERMAN OR WONDER WOMAN? Superman
T. TAG 5 PEOPLE Pay attention! Unfortunately I only know a few people who actually have blogs so here you go...Amanda, Shari and Natalie.
U. UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: Ummmmm....I have a wart on my foot that I have been trying to get rid of for a long time and it's almost gone....okay that was gross but I can't think of anything else!
V. VEGETABLES? Like the fruit, if it's already cut up, I'll eat it. I love sugar snap peas and corn on the cob- which I will promptly eat as soon as my braces are off. It's been 18 months with no corn on the cob!
W. WORST HABIT? Checking/working on this blog!
X. X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND? Okay, I agree with Mandy, this is a weird question, but I also have to go with ultrasound. Mainly because when I have an ultrasound I usually get to see a baby, and an x-ray means an injury.
Y. YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? See letter I.
Z. ZODIAC SIGN? Pices.

Happy Mother's Day to Our Moms!

I just wanted to do a shout out to my very own mother. I love you Mom, you are so special to me. You are a great mother and I appreciate all you have done for me especially now that I have my own children. You never really know what your mom goes through until you have your own kids. And I have to add that she is a very awesome grandmother too.

And Happy Mother's Day to Marylinn. What an awesome Mother-in-law. I couldn't have asked for a better one. Thanks to you I have my wonderful husband. And my children have another wonderful Grandma to play with. You are fantastic!

Happy Mother's Day to our Beautiful Mothers!

Mother's Day

I love Mother's Day...I can do nothing and have at least a good excuse for it. Today was wonderful - the kids sang cute Mother's Day songs in church and I didn't cry my eyes out like usual because I was up there helping them (my Primary calling in church), and this was a good thing because I swell up like a blowfish when I start crying and it takes me at least a day and a half to completely recover from a good cry. They gave us delicious, fattening, HUGE chocolate dipped cookies at church and gave us women all a break from any responsibility for the last hour. (Of course I ate the whole thing, what family do you think I'm from anyway?) The kids made me a very cute card in which they had dictated all the things they love about me. Adam bought me a beautiful Willow Tree figurine that I love, of a mother holding her baby to her chest. And Luke made me a wonderful book at school, which when I read it I was laughing and crying at the same time. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. I love being a mother.

These are a couple of the pages that made me laugh from Luke's Mother's Day book.

(Click to make them bigger.)

I love how I only weigh 80 pounds and I am eating a delicious pink cupcake.

Yes it's true...I am so smart and I know all about resting. I hope his teacher doesn't think I'm depressed or something. I do love my sleep but really....Luke was laughing hysterically when I was reading this page and asking him about it. I think he meant it as a joke....I hope.

Happy Late Birthday to Kim and Patrick!

Here are some pictures from about a month ago when we celebrated Kimmy and Patrick's 18th birthdays at Aunt Sharon's. No one had their digital cameras and so Grandma was ready (as usual) with her camera and put the pictures on a cd for us later.

The fun water fountain on the back patio.

Caught in the act!

So every time we go to Aunt Sharon's, Luke talks Chad and Brenda into playing Legos. I think they like it, look at Chad's elaborate ship! Luke always starts talking about how he is going to play Legos with Brenda when we go to Aunt Sharon's.

Rainy Day

Well today was one of those lazy days...it was raining outside and the kids had friends over so it was pretty much a free for all at our house. I did finish my book, though, The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls. It was an amazing book, making me grateful (once again) for all of my blessings and what a wonderful family I have and how I have really been blessed my whole life. I am so grateful for all the love that has come my way and I hope that I can give it back some how, especially through my own children.
And on a more superficial note, today my mouth hurts. I got my braces adjusted yesterday (I went with light blue this time, for Luke) and HOPEFULLY I will get them off in three weeks! I am so excited. The time has gone by fast with having Liam and all that the past year and a half has brought to our family, moving twice, three kids, Adam's new job, etc.

TTA - Tribute to Motherhood

What I love about being a Mom

I get to stay home with my kids.

My kids think I am cool - Luke still wants to hold my hand and give me a kiss goodbye when I visit his school.

My kids are forgiving - thank goodness.

I love it when they say they love me out of the blue - it just makes it all worth it. And when they give hugs and kisses - my kids are especially good at giving fish kisses.

I love it when we laugh and sing and when the kids start giggling and can't stop, and when Luke tells a funny story and can't even talk because he is laughing so hard.

And I love Mother's Day because I can milk it for all it's worth!

It's a Bird, it's a Stone....Oh Wait, it's Grace!

Well we finally convinced Adam to put a slide on the fort. It turns out that this slide is like the fastest slide ever, you should see the kids fly off it. Grace even went down it wet in her swimsuit yesterday - it WAS a nice day but we didn't think it was that nice, anyways we couldn't convince her or Luke that it wasn't bathing suit weather. So Grace flies down the slide and literally skids across the grass, she was like a skipping stone on a lake except the grass was the lake and she was the stone. I don't think she'll be trying it again anytime soon. We are almost done with the fort! It is becoming a work in progress. Wish us luck.

Fun Saturday

Saturday was a busy day for our family. Shari and I went to the Women's Expo in Orem and enjoyed a few hours away from the kids. We also got some killer deals on a few scrapbooking supplies so how can you beat that? Here are some of my favorite booths....

HugaMonkey baby slings
Digital Scrapbook Memories
Cherry Tree Cottage - WAY cute quilting stuff
Pinkbench- really cute headbands that actually stay in and don't hurt - I bought one for Grace and she loves it.
Heber Valley Railroad - the kids want to go SOOOO bad.
Flirty Aprons - this sounds kind of naughty (Okay so that is what I thought but my mind could be in the gutter), but they are really just cute aprons.

And Adam went to a sealing of a couple that we used to know in our old ward, Aaron and Ariane Luck. We are so happy for them - Congratulations!

Redemption

Okay Adam says we are painting Grace to be the "bad" child. And she really isn't. I think for my my view on it is that she is just at that age. She is so sweet, very loving and is pretty good at sharing, if you ask nice.
So here is a sweet video of Grace to counteract the one from yesterday. She LOVES to sing and makes up her own songs and she has a very good voice. And she always tells me she loves me and how can you not love that?

Knock Knock

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Snow

Snow who?

Snow use, it won't stop snowing!!!!!