Shout out

If any of you are pregnant or know someone who is you are not alone. About 91% pf my friends are pregnant right now. Buying gifts is always fun and don't we always want to get something special and personal. Well a friend of mine from high school is now making some awesome baby items and selling them. The flip flops are my personal favorite. Check it out.

Company Outing

Friday Trent got off work at noon! So did the rest of his work. This weekend they had a little company retreat. They got us a night at the Westin Resort in Scottsdale and everone came with their families so we could all meet and hang out. I was worried we would be the only ones with little kids, but Trent's company is all fairly young people with young families. We spent almost all our time at the kids pool and lazy river. The pool was large but only got to about 3 or 4 feet deep. Tucker had such a blast and Charlotte had a pretty good time. There was even one water slide. Tucker wasn't tall enough to go on it, but Friday night the lifeguard on watch let him go as long as I sent him down and Trent was there to catch him at the bottom. All the men from Trent's work were competing who could make it down the fastest. I did a couple runs too. It was a nice fun weekend and I am sure Tucker will be asking me to go to the lazy river for the rest of the year.
As usual Tucker surprised me with something he said yesterday and this time it was guilt free. I was telling him to hurry up so we could leave and he said,"Mom, we can't leave Dad here, otherwise he'll cry all day." Otherwise! I loved it. Also a few days ago we pulled up next to a school bus and he said, "Can I go on a school bus?" I told him "Yes, in only two more years." (which suddenly struck me as being very soon). Then he asked, "Can I take my carseat?"
How cute is that?

1. Another great storm Monday night. I bathed the kids by candlelight as our power was out for about an hour and a half.
2. Curse you Caillou!
I am not a fan of Caillou and Tucker really likes it now. I would much prefer the singing and dancing of the Backyardigans, which airs at the same time. So long for now Tyrone, Uniqua, Pablo, Tasha, and Austin and your oh so well coordinated dancing.
3. Tucker continues to surprise me with the cute funny things he says almost daily. This week he has been saying; "You are the best mom/dad in the whooooole sky!" I also love when he uses the words probably and dude. He no longer wants me in the room while he goes to the bathroom and he sometimes tells Charlotte or meor Buzz lightyear or anyone who crosses his path at the wrong moment that he is sick of them. I realize I only have myself to blame. I really do try to be careful what I say and how I say things. Not that I am a lover of profanities or anything. Tucker said dammit yesterday. I was so stunned. When he said oh crap, it was almost funny. But actually swearing. I've really blown it. I vow it will not happen again.

Battle Ego

My husband has always been very athletic and lived a very active lifestyle. Even when he was finally done with college sports he was still working at a very physically demanding job. However, now we have moved here and he is working more of a desk job, although he is out of the office a lot of the time it is still not physical labor. He is worried about his physique and has decided to go running in the mornings. Mind you this guy is 5'9", 155 lbs. with a 30 inch waist as you can see here.

He is basically physically perfect. I used to be quite athletic myself. But since marriage and 2 kids my body is, well not quite what it used to be. I am squishy, I have belly fat, my butt has always been large, but now is no longer perkey and is even larger. All my stretch marks from my pregnancy are on my thighs and surrounding my butt. I would love to get back into shape. I really like lifting weights and although I despise cardio, I would do it. But when? Where? How? I admit I am not motivated enough to find answers to these questions. And as for dieting, my version is drinking diet soda and not buying potato chips. Does that count?
While I give kudos to my hubby for his self motivation and hard work ethic, let me just say this; Is it asking to much for you to just let yourself go for a little while? I mean sure, I love knowing that I am physically attracted to you at any given moment, but for my own self esteem-stop it. I know that this urge to shape up is all in the name of ego and not physical well being and health and all. So could you stop and think of my ego. I was led to believe that the woman is a thing of beauty and if Trent is the beautiful one in this relationship, what do I have. He is certainly cleaner, better educated, stronger, more patient and calm. I guess I'll always have better grammar, although I find that to be of little comfort.

5 Years Ago Today

5 years ago today:
I woke up before 5 am to get my hair curled just so. I got to the temple to get pictures taken with my sweetheart before the August Arizona sun had us dripping with sweat. I slipped my wedding dress on hiding behind a car door because I didn't want to wrinkle it on the 5 minute drive there.
My wedding day was just as I had always dreamed, well mainly. I didn't have a fancy reception hall or flowers everywhere or a 2 carrot diamond ring. I did have everything that was important though. I had a man I truly loved and knew I would love forever, and as a bonus he is really hot! I was able to marry him in a sacred place for time and all eternity. I was able to give myself to him and him alone mentally, spiritually, physically. And he was able to do the same. Happy Anniversary Trent! I love you more than words do justice (even if I sometimes seem to forget and resort to throwing baby toys at you.)

More kid stuff

Charlotte is always standing up to something these days. Not morally, literally. She can now even switch from coffee table to couch effortlessly. She also walks along the side of the table holding on or grabs something with both hands and balances with her chest against the table.



Tucker can wink. That's right, either eye, on demand. It's awesome! My new favorite thing he says is "just in case" he has no idea when or how to use it which makes it that much better. He also says, "I'm mad of you." and "Yes, I'n am" that's right I'n. He still hasn't quite grasped that "take care of you" doesn't mean to carry you. "Will you take care of me to bed?"Anything Tucker likes is cool, beautiful, and handsome. This includes books, food, and people. His cousin Chandler informed me on Thursday that Charlotte's ears taste like peaches. Tucker has been tasting them ever since.

Charlotte's hair is not very cooperative. I can only find headbands too big or too small. She absolutely will not let me tie ribbon around her head, it took many times of fighting for me to give up. Bows don't seem to stick. I've tried honey and elmer's glue with no luck. So she usually sports a mohawk. Ocassionally I will let her hair lay flat and even less often I will put a little gel in the front and do a little curl.

Mommy's hair. I got my hair cut to avoid wearing a ponytail. This particular day I tried doing my hair several ways. After failure after failure I forced it into a ponytail. I couldn't get a good shot of the ridiculously short poof of hair that shot out of the hairband. Pretty much not glamorous.
This is my Magoo. Fatty Magoo, Cutie Magoo, Nudie Magoo. . And these are the eyelashes that get comments from every single stranger we encounter anywhere. They're awesome. When I started blogging I didn't really think about weirdos that might see my beautiful children, but now I do. Since I already have used their first names should I continue to use them in my blogging or should I refer to them by nicknames-Toogies and Magoo? Any thoughts?

A cool weekend ( and I mean below 100')

Trent's company owns some cabins up in Christopher Creek, about an hour and a half away from here. We decided to go up for Friday night and Saturday. We stayed in a small cabin(compared to the other 2 huge ones they own). Since Trent's mom is out of town we were glad that Grandpa Wes could come and hang out with us. We left about 7:30 pm on Friday. The baby slept almost the whole way and Tucker fell asleep at the end. I was pretty nauseous sitting between them in the back seat of the truck, which required a quick stop in Payson. Anyway, it was raining when we got there and most of the night. We woke up to a beautiful cool morning. This was not roughing it. The cabin is about the same size as our house, complete with new furniture and cable tv. That made it easy for naps and stuff. The creek ran right by our cabin and Tucker enjoyed throwng fallen green apples and pinecones in it. We rode around on grandpa's four wheeler and motorbike and ate lunch at a cute little restaurant up there. It was so fabulous sitting on the little swinging bench in the perfect weather in the wooded area. After lunch when it was a little warmer Tucker even splashed around in the creek and Trent and his dad cleaned up the yard, raking leaves, mowed the lawn, and did some weed whacking! Those of you who know Trent probably aren't surprised. The men in Trent's family have a disease where they can't stand to not be working for too long. Anyway we had a great time and I can't wait to do it again!

Not a dull moment

What a great Thursday. A little before noon my sister Sarah brought over her 3 boys, Gabe -12, Chandler-5, and Jackson-3. Sarah headed off to lunch with a friend and I got to enjoy the hilarious, entertaining company of 4 boys and one 7 month old (my Charlotte). She brought lunch from Sonic (who knew Tater Tots could be so delicious!) and after lunch and the excitement of playing with toys that aren't your own the boys decided it was time to head outside. Well there is only one way to play outside in August in 105+ degrees. Wet. Jackson kindly assured Tucker that he wouldn't laugh as he changed into his swim trunks. Then Jackson repeatedly told me not to laugh while he did the same, although I had no intention of doing so until his silly request. Charlotte went down for a nap, so I decided I would get into my swimsuit too. We all headed out back where we hosed down the trampoline to cool it enought to climb onto, set up the slip 'n slide, and pulled the plastic basketball hoop out onto the grass. I threw caution to the wind (ignoring the warning against people over the age of 12 and weighing over 110 lbs.) and slid across the yellow plastic, over the inflatible barrier and into the dead grass, making me a crusty body covering. I had lots of fun watching the 2 older boys sliding around doing tricks and the 3 year olds running almost to the very end before plopping down on the wet slide. Then we headed to the trampoline where I laid under it with the hose and sprayed the boys feet and bums as they ran every which way above me. It wasn't long before they were all ready to come inside, get dry and play with more toys. Trent had taken our camera to work, so I of course missed out on many good pictures. We came inside and I pulled out the couchbed ( a bed totally useless to any adult who has ever slept on a normal mattress, but great for kids) and turned on a movie. I even got them all chocolate milk, hoping they would nap. Well, I should have known better. The excitement of being with cousins does little to inspire sleepiness. They soon turned their attention back to toys which were spread every which way. When Sarah came back it was perfect timing, they were just starting to get grumpy and it wasn't too late to squeeze in a nap. I could really go for this once a week, it was so fun for Tucker. And me. Tucker fell asleep about 30 seconds after they pulled out of our driveway. Sarah had informed me that our sister Emily was going to be at the airport here for an hour or so for a layover on her way from Oklahoma City to Salt Lake. I planned on leaving Tucker with his Dad and taking Charlotte to go see her. After 2 hours of getting Trent's voicemail, getting angry, and then convincing myself his workers had killed him for his wallet and his truck, I left him a note and took both kids and my other sister Karen to the airport. Sarah came and my brother Mark. It was so nice that we got to visit with Emily while she was passing through. I will probably get to see her one more time during her pregnancy and I didn't want to miss it. She is the only sibling to live out of state right now besides Ted who is serving a mission in Madagascar. Turns out Trent's battery had died and he was alive afterall. Our next adventure starts tonight where we are spending the night in a cabin a couple hours away. How nice to spend Saturday with my husband.

Day Laborers

My husband is in charge of doing some work in a building his company owns, demolition and the like. He had his first experience picking up "day laborers" ( the p.c. term for mexican immigrants who hang out on street corners waiting for work). He drove up to a popular corner in a truck with a wheel barrow in the back and hauling a trailer to find some workers . He rolled down his window and started to call out "Cinco"(he wanted 5 men to come work). He was rushed by the whole group, as soon as a few had hopped in -he said he was yelling "cinco" the whole time, but it was a mad rush to get the job (picture the scene from Fun with Dick and Jane) he started driving, praying he wouldn't run anyone over. He said he ended up with 7 guys and figured he could use them all and get done a little faster. To avoid the same experience today, he asked them to meet him back at the site this morning. I thought it was pretty cute when he grabbed the portable radio to take with him today to play a little mexican music. He is really wanting to learn Spanish and I hope we can both take a class!Oh Arizona, what a place!

The witching hour

I woke up this morning at 3 am leaking all over myself. My left side was swollen to a hard-as-a-rock D-cup and my right side was its normal A-cup size. I realized immediatley this was a good sign. 3am and my baby hadn't woken up yet, hooray! I stumbled to the kitchen guided by flashes of lightning bursting in from all sides of the house. I got out my little hand pump, sat in front of the dark computer and pumped. After what seemed like 15 minutes or so I had pumped a ridiculously small 2 oz. Right then Charlotte started to fuss and I was pleased to have some quick relief as my right side was quickly enlarging. I scooped up my beautiful little girl and rocked her while her sweet little mouth went to work. What a wonderful feeling it was today. I enjoyed each second. After a few mintes I unlatched her little lips and placed her back in her crib. I climbed into my clean sheets next to my warm, beautiful, sweet smelling husband and listened to the night's lulaby of softly rolling thunder and the warm summer rain's happy meeting with the thirsty desert floor.

Tuckerisms

Lately Tucker starts many of his sentences with "Remember" or "Guess what". Everytime we drive by the movie theatre he says, "Remember Dad took me on a date, remember we ate sour worms." Notice he said dad, not daddy. This is a new development. Just last week I noticed he wasn't referrring to Trent as Daddy, but simply as Dad. It seems so much more grown up. I suppose turning 3 may have brought this on. After all what 3 year old would be caught dead saying "daddy" like a lame 2 year old? And now he has a new date with Dad to remember. While Charlotte and I were occupied at Abbie's baby shower, Daddy took Tucker to Ant Bully. I have to admit that I am a bit jealous. Trent and I have not been to a movie theatre together since. . hmm, I honestly don't remember the last movie we saw together in a theatre with or without kids. I think it was Elf. We took a 6 month old Tucker with us to that one. No, we actually saw Hitch in the theatre. Anyway, it is not a regular occurance, and I love going to the movies. Now Trent has gone with our 3 year old twice in 2 months. What's up with that? I gotta get Charlotte to take a bottle! I mean this month is our 5 year anniversary and we can't leave overnight cause I still nurse Charlotte twice a night! Oh I would that my babies would take binkis or bottles!

Pork Chop

This photo is a couple years old, and sadly I don't have any recent ones.


Spencer is almost 12, 13 years younger than me. There is a large gap in our siblings between Mark and Spencer. Not to mention that my mom found out she was expecting him shortly before my oldest sister gave birth to her first son Gabe. So yes, we are one of those families. Spencer and his "nephew" Gabe are less than a year apart and sometimes inseperable. They spend a lot of time together playing outside or video games and card games (yugi-oh and the like). They are either as thick as thieves or mad at eachother and not talking. I think of Spence as a beautiful baby boy with fuzzy hair. I used to often quote the Land Before Time, saying of him-"This is our new brother Spike." I am glad I am here to see him grow and become a high schooler. He is silly, chubby, extremely smart and bookish. He is friendly and very sensitive, he has a great vocabulary. He gags easily. He is a deep thinker. He is obedient and shows strong faith. Spencer, I hope to become good friends. I love you.

Top photo:Gabe Vader and Spence Batman
These 2 are of me feeding Spencer an icee and getting a thank you when I came home from track practice my sophomore year.

More pictures from this weekend

Tucker took these great ones of Charlotte.

THis is the only shot of Charlotte's teeth I have managed to get.

Party Weekend

To celebrate his 3rd birthday Tucker had a party friday night with some friends and some of my family and Saturday night with Trent's family. Both party's involved swimming, food and presents. We even had a pinata on Friday which was fun.
This is my sister Karen and my neice Moqui.

Tucker also got a hold of the camera and took some great pictures.
I'll post them as soon as I can get blogger to cooperate.